Betrothed
by 2Tame a River
Summary: Captured by Lotor and separated from the Blue Lion, Allura's only hope for freedom lies in the chance that she might lull the Galra prince into a false sense of security. Which shouldn't be too hard, since Lotor has already decided that he wants her as his future bride, and will stop at nothing until she assents to be his wife. But will Allura's heart get in the way of her plans?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**

Hello readers!

Voltron: Legendary Defenders has become a recent favorite of mine, and though I know relatively little compared to the true fans out there who have followed even the original shows, I still wanted to contribute to this lovely fandom with a story of my own! I haven't even finished season 3 yet of the series, mind you, so what you read here is not cannon (to my knowledge). I merely exercised some creative liberties for my own amusement, and hopefully for yours as well. Thanks for clicking! The summary is pretty much self-explanatory. Enjoy!

-2Tame a River

* * *

 **Betrothed**

* * *

Chapter One

...

What a discovery! Lotor could scarcely remain seated within his command console chair. What gods had planned this blessed coincidence? Had the fates looked down upon his hard life's labors and determined to pay him his proper dues, he could scarcely still be worthy of the incredible fortune that now befell him. It was simply too good to be true.

General Acxa, who was ever so perceptive, could not help but approach Lotor's chair warily. The startling display of ecstasy on her prince's usually stoic features was greatly disconcerting.

"Sir? Dare I even ask what has brought you into such a pleasant mood?"

"Ask you may, but an answer I cannot give at present. I must ensure that my suspicions are in fact, correct," the prince replied evenly. Once again resuming his usual temperance, he stood from his chair. "I owe a visit to our prisoner. Mind the helm and do not disturb me for any reason," he commanded, making for the exit of the bridge. Then, he paused as if remembering something, and turned to dawn one of his slow, sly smiles. "Save for the arrival of our good friends the paladins, of course," and with a furl of his cape tails, he waltzed off, shouting, "I have no doubt they are scrambling to enact a rescue plan for their beloved Blue Lion and its paladin, _Princess_ Allura!"

Generals Acxa, Ezor, Zethrid, and Narti looked at each other with mutual surprise and delight.

"Is it just me or did he just say _princess?_!" Ezor exclaimed.

"I heard it too," Acxa assured. Narti's cat, Kova, meowed loudly, swishing his tail.

"With the Altean Princess our prisoner, there is nothing Voltron won't do to secure her safety," Zethrid proclaimed, lifting a victorious fist in the air. "We shall soon have the greatest weapon in the universe begging for our mercy!"

"This calls for a great celebration!" Ezor announced, cartwheeling her way out of the brig and returning scarcely thirty seconds later with a bottle of fizzy and four small glasses. After promptly filling and distributing the alcoholic beverage to each of her companions, Ezor lifted her glass to the air.

"To Prince Lotor and the Galra Empire!"

"Where did you get this?" Acxa demanded.

"No matter! Drink!" Ezor insisted, throwing back her head to down her shot glass. Zethrid eagerly followed her example, and with a sigh of resignation, so did Acxa.

"Whatever it is, it's fantastic!" Zethrid praised, pouring herself another round. Narti, however, simply held her full glass.

"Narti!" Ezor admonished, "I said drink- OH, right. Sorry!" she grimaced, liberating the masked assassin of her bubbly. Without a second thought, Ezor drank it for her.

...

 _Well,_ Allura reflected, _as far as prisons go_ , _this is far beyond anything I had expected._

Her cell was not only sparklingly clean, but only a half hour upon her imprisonment, she had been presented with a fully dressed dining table, set for two. No guards had attempted to shackle her, but instead, one had arrived to inquire how she would like her meal prepared: blackened, medium, or rare. Completely puzzled at this strange inquiry, Allura answered, "Medium," through stupefied lips.  
"Very good madam. If you please, be seated. His excellency will be joining you shortly," replied the guard, who then turned and exited the cell. Had he been wearing an apron? Allura slowly came to seat herself at the table, gawking at the illustrious dining set of dishes and silverware before her. Was this some sort of _dream?_

Of the countless other undesirable places she had been subjected to throughout these last hectic months, she had in no way been prepared to be greeted by such extravagancy upon an enemy ship. Especially when that enemy ship was _Galra._

 _Upon my word, Prince Lotor certainly knows how to make his prisoners feel welcome,_ thought Allura. _Or perhaps... this hospitality is a courtesy reserved only for a paladin of Voltron?_

It wasn't unlikely. As far as Allura could tell, capturing Voltron had been Prince Lotor's sole obsession these past six months together. Without her, the other paladins could no longer form Voltron, and thus, put them at a great disadvantage. Doubtless, Lotor was very much aware that the Blue Lion's capture, along with her own, was a very great victory. She could hardly deny him this feast of triumph. But a feast in which she was invited? Highly peculiar. There had to be some motive behind it.

Thus far, Lotor had proven himself a highly capable warrior, not just in his unparalleled piloting skills or his flawless swordsmanship, but predominantly in his incredible tact for strategy. Lotor was capable of concocting any number of plots to deceive her. Was this dinner yet another bizarre tactic to gain the upperhand?

 _Well_ , _whatever he's trying to get at, he will find he'll have a difficult time getting_ _ **anything**_ _from me,_ she vowed. _I will fortify my mind, and make my manners indiscernible. Soon he will see I am not to be trifled with. I am a princess, after all. Not that_ he _has any knowledge of that fact._

Nor would he, if she had anything to say about it. While her identity as a paladin was now known, her lineage was still kept a precious secret. Who knew what kind of leverage would be attained should Lotor discover her true title. She didn't even want to think about it. Lotor had already exhibited a remarkable ability to adapt to all kinds of circumstances. Why, after having Allura escape him once already, Lotor had wasted no time on rethinking his hunting strategy. Evidently, he'd thought it prudent to dispense with all notions of playing _fair._ Had he kept to those unspoken rules of war etiquette, Allura doubted she'd be in the position she was.

Somehow, the prince had engineered an electrical field of disorienting pulses which had then been triggered at the nearing of her Blue Lion, rendering herself unconscious, and her Lion powerless. His victory had hardly been an honorable one. She'd reawakened to find herself being carried by guards and deposited into this very cell. Now, here she was, sitting at a dining table and preparing for her captor to reveal his next despicable ploy. And speak of the devil...

Allura stiffened in her chair at the sound of her cell door and watched as in strode the resplendent figure of the Galra prince himself.

No longer attired in his military uniform, Prince Lotor was instead looking quite striking in a slim, formal suit of pale grays trimmed in black. His illustrious white hair, so very much like her own, trailed down either side of his shoulders with only the front portion tied back to keep out of his face. Allura was momentarily awestruck by his intense yellow gaze, which contrasted dramatically against the violet colored skin of his handsome face; a face in which bore the smallest insinuation of a smile. He entered the cell with all the dominance of a predator having cornered his prey.

"Greetings, _princess._ I've been looking forward to this moment with great anticipation..."

Allura's blue eyes widened in alarm.

 _Oh... no..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Betrothed**

* * *

Chapter Two

...

 _No, no, no! How could this be? How could he know?_ Allura despaired. How easily the Galra prince had laid waste to her resolve! Her confidence shattered, her hopes decimated, and wildest fears awakened, all with one simple word: Princess.

Now she was presented with the dilemma of determining just how to answer to her captor's bold greeting. Should she feign denial? Ignorance? Terror? Which was her best tactic? Mentally, she wavered, caught at the crossroads of these possibilities. Lotor stalked forward to the table, and with each step, Allura felt her doom crushing down upon her.

"I see I have rendered you speechless," Lotor proceeded, a wicked amusement glinting in his amber eyes. "If I may, allow me to properly introduce myself."

Allura hardly felt that was necessary, but she offered no protest when the prince approached the table and bowed before her.

"I am Lotor, son of Zarkon, Prince of the Galra Empire and your honored host."

 _Ah, playing the_ honored _host, are we? Very well then._

"And I am Allura, daughter of King Alfor, and Paladin to the Blue Lion. I make no claim to the title of _princess_ any longer, as I have neither a people or a planet to call my own," she declared, chin lifted and eyes as cold as steel.

"A horrible misfortune," Lotor replied calmly, taking his seat.

 _Does he dare to mock me?_ Allura's temper flared.

"A misfortune in which I have _you_ to thank for!" she burst, overwhelmed with sudden anger. Lotor appeared genuinely affronted.

" _Me_ you say?"

"Yes, _you!_ Have you so quickly forgotten it was the _Galra_ who are responsible for destroying my homeworld of Altea?!" Allura exploded. Lotor inclined a silver brow.

"Interesting."

"What is?" Allura demanded.

"You refer to my Galra heritage as reason enough to accuse me of being responsible for your home world's decimation. As if it was _I_ who had in fact been there, when we both know I'd not yet even been born," Lotor answered evenly, leaning comfortably back into his chair. "Is it your belief then, that all living, breathing Galra are bloodthirsty conquerors? If so, I imagine such assumptions make it quite reasonable to go on hating me and my kind as you do," he mused.

"As a collective species, domination by way of violence seems to be a strongly recurring theme with the Galra," Allura snipped.

"Ah, so you prefer to view us as a collective, instead of as individuals with our own unique thoughts and aspirations? How convenient." Lotor returned, his accusing eyes blazing into her. Yet, Allura sat proudly and met his gaze full on. He left her no choice but to retaliate. She would not let _him_ play the victim.

"I see no point in discussing the views of nonspecific individuals when it is the majority of said individuals whose joint actions speak for themselves," she spat, returning ire with ire.

"Well, princess, you may change your mind when you hear what _this_ specific individual in particular has to say about his thoughts and aspirations," Lotor countered.

"Oh, will I?" Allura scoffed, wondering why she was so affected by his impudence. This was the _Galra_ prince after all. His misplaced sense of entitlement shouldn't have come as such a surprise.

Just then, the cell door opened once more and two servants entered with their hands full of silver platers. They waited for Lotor's nod of approval before setting the plates down on the table and removing the lids. Once the hot steam had dissipated, Allura's senses were apprehended by the sight and smell of the delicious sultry meats and rare vegetables before her. Scarcely had she taken it all in before a third Galra servant entered, carrying with him a bottle of wine. He uncorked the fresh beverage and poured the perfect amount into two empty glasses before standing back in line with the other servers, awaiting further orders.

Lotor wasted no time in sampling his meal. He carved off a small portion of meat and forked it, depositing it carefully into his mouth. Allura watched, mesmerized as the prince chewed thoughtfully, closing his eyes and appearing to fall into some sort of concentrated trance. The servants stood stiff with suspense as the moment dragged on. Then, Lotor swallowed, and the servants all seemed to relax with relief. At last, Lotor's eyes reopened.

"Superb. You are dismissed until further notice," he announced. In unison, all three servants exited the cell. Allura's mouth was already watering, but she forced herself to refrain from picking up her silverware. She was not about to partake of these delicacies when she'd still no idea of Lotor's true intentions behind this formal supper. Lotor noticed her hesitation immediately.

"Ah, please, allow me," he offered, not waiting for her permission before sliding her plate over and commencing to cut her meat into edible sized pieces for her. Allura just glared at him.

"And now I suppose you expect me to say thank you."

"It would be the _politically correct_ thing to do. But then, I've never had much interest in political correctness. I prefer political _directness._ "

"Is that what this is? Your way of being direct with me?" Allura challenged. This caused a small upturn in the corner of Lotor's lips.

"Would you be confused if I said yes?"

"I'm already confused," Allura admitted, watching him warily as he slid her plate back over to her.

"Indeed?"

"Can you blame me? It is not every day a dangerous enemy of the Galra Empire is welcomed into their first night of imprisonment with a supper fit for a prince, and joined by one too. Or is it?" Allura commented, eyeing the food before her hungrily. The scent wafting to her nostrils was so tantalizing, she could no longer restrain herself. Throwing suspicion aside, Allura lifted her first bite tentatively to her mouth. The flavor that flooded her tastebuds was absolutely divine.

"I assure you, this certainly is not our standard procedure," Lotor replied, taking another bite from his own plate.

"Well then, there you have it. I'm thoroughly puzzled. I suppose it is probable you are trying to poison me so that you can have the Blue Lion to pilot yourself. But then, why go through the trouble of making my demise so incredibly delicious?" Allura commented, just before taking another eager bite.

"Poison you?" Lotor looked positively offended. "What a notion. I'm afraid I must ask your forgiveness to have put such a strange fear into your head," Lotor chuckled. "I for one, thought I was making my advances towards you quite clear," he shrugged, "Then again, I'll readily admit, it has been awhile since I've made any real attempts at courtship."

Suddenly, the meat Allura had been in the process of swallowing, became lodged in her throat.

 _Courtship? Did he just say **courtship?!** I must have misheard._

However, her gag reflexes promptly kicked in, launching Allura into a most unflattering coughing spell. Lotor watched on impassively until she finally regained some control of herself. Mechanically, he lifted her wine glass and held it out to her. Allura accepted it and drank heavily.

 _What's this taste?_ she reflected. _Some incredible fusion of sweet and sour. I'm sure I've had this wine before._

Whatever it was, she thought it quite pleasant. She emptied half her glass before setting it back down in favor of snatching up her napkin to her lips. The prince watched on, his blank expression entirely unreadable.

"I beg your pardon," Allura blushed, entirely mortified, "For a moment there, I thought I had heard you say-"

"-Courtship. You heard correctly."

Allura's eyes darted up to meet Lotor's in alarm, finding herself completely overthrown by the power of those vast yellow pools.

"W-what?" she stuttered. Lotor shifted forward in his chair, resting his elbows upon the table to lace his fingers just beneath his chin.

"I'll spare you any further formalities and speak plainly. It is my full intention to court you, princess, with the hopes that one day soon you will consent to be my wife."

A cold sweat began to break out over Allura's forehead and a strange blackness was beginning to creep into her field of vision. She blinked several times, but the invading darkness only continued to cloud her sight. She remained motionless, barely breathing, until nothing but black was left, and then... nothing at all.

...

* * *

 **A/N**

Just wanted to say a quick thank you to those of you who have reviewed and followed/favorited my fic after only reading the first chapter! Your interest and support is much appreciated. I only hope my silly little concoction of a story can meet with your expectations. Stay tuned!

-2Tame A River


	3. Chapter 3

**Betrothed**

* * *

Chapter Three

...

This wasn't exactly what Lotor would describe as one of his _shining_ moments. In hindsight, he probably should have used more tact. Clearly, the princess hadn't been ready to hear the entire scope of his plans. Still, how could he have anticipated that she would faint dead away? It was a good thing Lotor had such fast reflexes. In less time than it took to blink, he had launched around the table to catch her limp form before she fell completely out of her chair. He had scarcely hoisted her up into his arms bridal style before she began to reawaken, and had only made it two or three steps towards the bed in her cell before she was kicking and screaming to be put down.

Despite his best efforts to assure her he had only meant to lay her down somewhere more comfortable, Allura would have none of it. He released her quickly, but the fit of hysteria that overtook her senses resulted in the prince having to hastily retreat from the cell in order to avoid traumatizing her any further. Thus, an abrupt and rather dissatisfying conclusion to the evening.

Lotor desperately desired for her to hear his thoughts and his reasons for seeking her hand in marriage, but such explanations would have to wait until the princess was of a more sound mind.

Thus, Lotor resorted to pacing through the halls of his command ship, trying to dispel his frustrations.

 _This isn't a failure, simply a small set back_ , he told himself. _S_ _he will come to agree with the logic of my plans in time_. _So long as the other paladins keep their noses out of it. I almost wish they don't pursue..._ he sighed. _But I cannot let my personal desires get in the way of my duty to the Empire. Even without their fifth member, Voltron is still a viable threat._

It was amidst these musings that General Acxa suddenly intercepted him in the hall.

"Sir, no sign of the paladins yet, but we are on high alert. Do you have any further orders for us?"

"Not right now," Lotor replied, moving to walk past her. Acxa watched him curiously.

"Sir? May I inquire how things went with the prisoner?" she asked tentatively. Lotor did not stop walking, but gestured her to follow him.

General Acxa stepped to walk beside him. After several turns through the ship passage ways they came upon Lotor's private training room. Lotor typed in the code on the wall and the doors slid open, allowing them entrance. Lotor strode forward to gaze upon the massive sword rack which hung upon the wall. He perused his vast collection before selecting a devastatingly beautiful blade of original make. He twirled it experimentally in his hands for a moment, getting reaquainted with its weight and handling. The prince preferred to alternate between different weapons for his training sessions. It kept him on his toes. After a moment, Lotor recalled that Acxa was waiting patiently for the answer to her earlier question.

Lotor was very close with each of his generals, and he had learned early on that they were of far better use to him when fully informed of every situation, than when left ignorant. That being the case, he decided it was prudent to proceed with divesting the details of all that had transpired within the brig.

"Our prisoner _is_ the Altean Princess," Lotor announced. "Of that I am certain."

"You seem almost displeased," Acxa frowned, "Compared to your mood of earlier..."

"Come, choose a weapon. We will spar, and I will explain all," Lotor bade her. Acxa nodded and stepped forward to take her choice of blade.

...

"She _didn't!_ "

"She did."

The small lounge room reverberated with the piercing shriek of Ezor's obnoxious laughter. The acrobatic general doubled over on the couch, struggling to come up for air and slapping her knee in a violent fit of hilarity. Acxa watched on in amusement.

"I don't find anything funny about our prince being humiliated," Zethrid berated from where she leaned against the wall, her arms crossed.

"Oh _please_ Zethrid, don't be such a mother! Lotor's got tough skin!" Ezor snorted.

"With all the females we have to beat away from him on a regular basis, Lotor can withstand a little rejection," Acxa added from where she sat, reclined in a chair and skimming through records on her auto-touch pad.

"And out of all the females he could choose, he chooses _her?_ What is he thinking? She has no power, over anything or anyone- save the Blue Lion that is. But still! No Galran born citizen would _ever_ look to her as our queen. Why, I would wager good money that Zarkon _himself_ would summon the strength to break out from his coma in order to put a stop to this ridiculous scheme!" Zethrid huffed.

"Lotor has his own reasons for his actions, and until Zarkon has fully recovered his faculties, Lotor's word is _law_ ," Acxa reminded sternly.

"Yeah, yeah, we know that," Ezor dismissed with a flippant wave of her hand, "But why _her_ though? One would think he'd have better taste!" Ezor practically pouted, launching herself off the couch and into a walking handstand. Acxa smirked over at her fellow general.

"Jealous?"

In an astonishing moment completely uncharacteristic for her, Ezor suddenly lost balance and tumbled into a heap on the floor. She hastily regathered herself, her cheeks flushing an even more absurd shade of pink.

"Of course I'm not jealous!"

"Hmm,"

" _Hmm_ yourself," Ezor snapped, standing up. "This subject bores me. I'm going to relieve Narti of piloting duty," she announced, waltzing out from the lounge room.

Acxa and Zethrid exchanged an all too knowing look.


	4. Chapter 4

**Betrothed**

* * *

Chapter Four

...

Forty-two hours had passed since Lotor had last entered the brig. Forty-two hours since he had fled from the princess's fury. Forty-two hours of torturously debating whether or not he was giving Allura enough time to mentally and emotionally recover herself from their last encounter.

But alas, he could wait no longer.

The hour for supper was near at hand, yet Lotor dared not order for a meal to be brought to the cell. He was not entirely certain a second attempt at having a civil dinner would be appreciated. As it was, he was risking a lot entering the cell without a set of guards to accompany him. The princess could very well try to attack him again. How wild she had become at the very _thought_ of ever wedding him! Lotor couldn't understand it. Was he so much of a monster to her? All due to his origin of birth? Lotor stood just outside the brig entrance and took a deep, nerve settling breath, clenching and unclenching his fists.

 _I will not allow her to see me out of sorts. I must be utterly composed,_ he lectured himself. _I will be as gentle and non-threatening as possible, and hopefully she will permit me to finish speaking without flying into another frenzy._

Thus resolved, Lotor entered the brig. He paused only for another moment at the security control panel in order to shut down all live feed running to and from the princess's cell. What Lotor intended to speak about with his future bride did not need to be heard by anyone else. Once the cameras were deactivated, he resumed his pace down the hall, coming at last to the correct cell. His hand reached out to unlock the door, but stopped suddenly. He'd heard something. Eyes sharpening, Lotor waited. When no other sound was heard, he pursed his lips.

 _Very well. If she refused to come out willingly..._

"Come forth, Ezor," he commanded, "You know very well your little games don't work on me."

Ezor let forth a sigh of defeat just before materializing into view by his side.

"Explain yourself," Lotor demanded, facing her squarely with a steep frown. Out of all his generals, Ezor was perhaps the greatest potential threat to his command ship should she betray him. Her tactical knowledge of espionage, as well as her ability to completely disappear from sight was absolutely invaluable. Therefore, even the slightest hint of insubordination on her part was treated swiftly and surely. It was no secret how angry Lotor could become should he detect any trace of deception from his crew, thus, Ezor's expression was decidedly anxious when she revealed herself. It was ironic really, how little Ezor was able to hide of her thoughts and feelings, when her largest asset to the team was that of making herself invisible.

"Sir," she saluted, mustering her courage, "I- well- it was my sole intention to remain discreetly present for the off-handed circumstance that you should need any assistance with the prisoner."

"If I'd thought I would be needing assistance I would have requested for it," Lotor replied sharply.

"Yes but, since Acxa happened to mention some of the particulars from the other night... I just thought you would appreciate my being there in case-"

" _Don't_ you **dare** lie to me!" Lotor roared. "Had you come here with pure intentions, you would have approached me on the subject instead of sneaking about! Now for the last time, explain yourself," he ordered, taking a threatening step forward and effectively backing Ezor into the closest wall. Her large, expressive eyes widened still further and her pink skin paled.

"I-I..." she uttered helplessly. Then, looking down in shame, she murmured, "You turned off the security feed to her cell... And...well... I wanted to know why."

Lotor weighed her confession carefully in his mind, judging it as truth or folly. Luckily for her, he did not detect any lie in her words.

"Because, Ezor," he answered measuredly, "whatever happens in that cell is no one else's business by my own. Understand?"

Ezor nodded once, still looking down at the ground, as if afraid of whatever consequence would come to her should she meet his gaze. Lotor sighed, no longer feeling angry with her. She was a curious creature by nature. Could he blame her for being anything but what she was? Raising a hand, Lotor slowly lifted Ezor's chin, bringing her face level with his own. Only when she finally risked giving him her eye contact did he speak.

"You are forgiven this indiscretion. But I fully expect your mistake won't ever be repeated. Are we clear?"

"Oh, _yes_ ," she breathed.

A strange kind of whimsical look came into Ezor's eyes as she stared up at him. Gratitude was indeed there, but also adoration, and it poured forth so powerfully that Lotor was forced to break physical contact with her, putting a swift end to the moment.

"Now go," he commanded, pointing at the brig exit. Ezor darted away without another word.

...

Princess Allura could hear voices, but they were muffled and indistinct. She couldn't make out a thing of what was being said, only that there seemed to be two persons conversing, and one sounded upset at the other. Curious, she walked over to press her ear to the door, trying in vain to decipher what was being talked of.

Allura had never been one to eavesdrop on private conversations. She hadn't ever the need to do such a thing before in her privileged life. But these were the first voices she had heard for two _long_ days, besides that of her own! She spoke to herself often, but that was only because she was far too used to having her mice about to listen to her nonsense. Needless to say, her loneliness and boredom provided ample reason enough to resort to such a childish thing as trying to listen in on other people's conversation. If nothing else, it would make for some good entertainment. Anything to get her mind off of her current situation.

 _Perhaps it is two servants arguing over who forgot some dish or other in the kitchen,_ she mused.

One thing she could say for her terrible predicament, was that at least she had the pleasure of eating fancy meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. She never thought she could look forward to eating so much, but she did. Not only did it provide her with something to do other than pacing around her cell endlessly with pent up frustrations, but it was so incredibly delicious! Lotor must have had a professional five star chef under his command, because without fail, every meal catered to her was a new delicacy she'd never seen or tasted before. And each meal seemed to surpass the last. It got her wondering, was this some Galra courting tradition? Winning the female's hand by dazzling her with delicious food? Because if that were the case, she wasn't entirely opposed to this kind of courtship! Of course, it would all come to nothing in the end, since she had absolutely no intentions of wedding Lotor. Not now or in another million years. She would rot in this cell before she allowed herself to stoop so low.

She still couldn't help but laugh out loud at the very thought. _She_ becoming wife to the leader of the very race who had wiped her people from the face of existence? An empire that was _still_ terrorizing other worlds and destroying nations by the hour? It was utterly absurd! Why, her good father would roll over in his grave! If only he had one.

The voices were getting quieter now, and all hope of making out any words was lost. Allura frowned.

 _So much for that._

Allura had just begun to back away from the door when it suddenly opened, and she stood face to face with the imposing form of Prince Lotor. She blinked, taken completely off guard. She wasn't sure why, but after two days of not seeing him, she had come to assume that she would not be seeing him again anytime soon. She had liked that arrangement. Yet, here he was.

 _Splendid._

She eyed him critically, placing her hands on her hips. Today, Lotor was wearing a different formal suit of cool purple and gray tones. His black boots were practically sparkling with cleanliness and he wore a fine white cape that draped down from his shoulders and reached his heels. Allura couldn't help but become suddenly aware of how completely informal she appeared in comparison. Her clothes were shabby from living and sleeping in them these past two days, and her white hair was wild and free, having taken it out of her tight bun for the sake of being more comfortable. Now however, she felt like a slob in his presence, and she inwardly suffered at the idea that she had lost some dignity in his eyes. Oh well. It couldn't be helped now.

After a moment in which both parties simply surveyed one another, Lotor stepped forward and bowed. Allura didn't return the polite gesture, and instead, with all the impudence of a snotty teenager, asked,

"What, no flowers?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Betrothed**

* * *

Chapter Five

...

To Allura's surprise, Lotor chuckled warmly. She was even more surprised to find that she was actually entranced by the sound of his laugh. Nearly as much as she was the half grin that slowly inched its way onto the handsome prince's face.

"Charming," he remarked, stepping further into the cell and right into her personal space. The door slid shut with a firm click behind him. Allura swallowed and hastily back stepped, not about to remain within easy reaching distance. It would take a lot more than good looks and a dazzling smile to make her lower her guard. Folding her arms and jutting out her chin, Allura assumed a stance of rigid coldness.

"Forgive my candor, but I am not _pleased_ to see you."

"I assure you, I made no such assumption," replied the prince, striding past her into the room and casting a curious gaze over the cell. "I trust your spirits have not been too dull in my absence? My servants have treated you well, have they not?"

Allura's only reply was a cross glare.

"Ah, silly me, expecting you to converse with me on friendly terms when you still hold me in contempt. Will you allow me to speak my peace, so that perhaps we can come to a better understanding with one another, or in the very least, you may come to a better understanding of me?" Lotor besieged. Allura's expression remained unmoved. Lotor tilted a silver brow, a sinister look entering his eye.

"Perhaps you would prefer me to ask your permission whilst down on one knee?"

Allura was positively repulsed by the very idea of seeing Lotor down on one knee before her, and the flash of fear and horror in her eyes was enough to make the wicked prince grin in victory. She hated him even more for that.

"That won't be necessary," she grit out behind clenched teeth.

"As the princess wishes. May I trust that I can proceed safely without the risk of incurring more of your wrath?"

"I will make no promises, since you have proven very skilled thus far at provoking my temper in the worst way, but you may proceed," she replied coolly. Lotor nodded and turned to the table.

"Then if you don't mind, I will take a seat. Never fear, what I have to say won't take long." He regarded the extra chair and sat down, making himself quite comfortable. He gestured obligingly to the opposite chair, but Allura declined.

 _I'm not about to play any of his games_ , she vowed to herself. _I won't give him an inch._

Lotor shrugged then began his speech.

"No doubt you desire to know why I am inflicting you with so strange and unusual of a punishment as to pursue your hand in marriage."

Allura was reluctant to give him any satisfaction of having guessed her thoughts or feelings, but she could not deny him. Eventually she gave a small nod.

"Well, I answer you with the assurance that my reasons are neither villainous or self-serving as you might predict. I have considered every possibility and this is indeed the surest most natural way to serve the great cause in which I have up to this point, only entertained as a dream these past twenty years of my life."

 _Get on with it already!_

"You do so enjoy dragging this on!" Allura snipped impatiently. Lotor fixed her with a disturbingly aggressive stare.

"Have you ever wondered just who- or indeed- what my mother was?" He questioned, yellow eyes flashing gold with a smoldering anger.

"The subject may have crossed my mind once or twice, but honestly, your being Zarkon's son is more than enough reason to hate you," Allura answered briskly.

"Hmm," Lotor hummed, drumming the table top with his fingers. "Well, I wondered, and it plagued me most of my youth. It was not until the age of fifteen that I made the discovery myself. And that was after much research and private investigations. My father concealed the truth of my mother's identity from me well, and he had cause enough to do so. My young mind was in no way prepared for the gravity of the scandal I uncovered."

"Your talk of scandal in relation to Zarkon does not surprise me in the least," Allura huffed, no longer able to stand still. She left her place against the wall and strode agitatedly across the room to the table. "He is capable of more evil than I could ever wish to comprehend," she vented in disgust and agony. Memories of her people and all she had lost once again ached afresh in her heart.

 _All because of that **monster**_ , she grieved.

And for a moment, she battled back the angry tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. All the time, Lotor watched her with keen attention, his eyes never leaving her face.

"Why Zarkon saw fit to eradicate your entire race and all traces of its existence, I do not know. I may never know," he stated, his expression becoming serious, "Yet fate would not be denied its turn to play its hand. My father unwittingly made a grave error in his judgements. For whilst he appeared to hate all Alteans publicly, this did not prevent him from exploiting his spoils, and taking a woman of that very race as his secret lover…" Lotor paused, and Allura's heart beat raced in mad fury.

"You need hardly guess where I am leading with this," Lotor continued, suddenly standing up from his chair. "By now, you can have no doubts that, indeed, it is my own mother of whom I speak."

Allura felt as if someone had just punched her in the gut. Her knees felt weak and she quickly sought the support of the table to lean against.

 _Impossible!_ Her mind scrambled, _Zarkon would never...! But… If he did... That would make Lotor…_

The prince approached her slowly.

"That's right Princess. You and I have more in common than you would like to think. I may appear fully Galra…But, underneath-" and slowly, the prince dragged a finger across the corner of of his eye, and soon, he smudged away a purple coating that revealed a set of very distinct marks upon his face. Allura gasped, struggling to reconcile this transformation before her.

Lotor just smiled.

"It is Altean blood that flows through these veins, and it is to the _Alteans_ that I pledge my undying loyalty…"

* * *

 **A/N**

I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, but I figured I'd dropped enough of a bomb shell at the end there to cause some intrigue! Again, this is totally just my imagination coming up with an interesting idea that might amuse you. I've no idea, or any actual confidence that Lotor being half Altean is actually true in the series (yet anyway. I suppose it _could_ be possible). So bare with me! And thank you to all who have reviewed, followed and favorited! Your support is so humbling and encouraging!

-2Tame a River


	6. Chapter 6

**Betrothed**

* * *

Chapter Six

...

 _WHAT?!_

Allura was now having to remember how to breathe. For a moment, she feared she would pass out a second time. Evidently, Lotor thought so too.

"Don't you dare faint on me again," he warned, already extending his arms out to catch her. Allura recoiled quickly and fixed him with a glare so fierce, Lotor took a wary step backwards.

"Easy," he soothed, no doubt seeing the panic rise into her eyes. But the princess wasn't about to do any such thing.

"You are lying to me!" she raged. At this point, denial was a better option than blindly believing this criminal's impossible claims. "Even if Zarkon was disturbed enough to take an Altean as his mistress, I know for certain he would never let any child of his with Altean blood live!"

Lotor hummed and reclaimed his seat. Allura too finally took the seat opposite him.

"Rather presumptuous, aren't you? You think because you know a man's crimes you have all the answers to his actions?" The prince questioned.

"Well…." Allura hesitated, words failing on the tip of her tongue.

"I can see this is going to be an interesting and thought provoking conversation. Shall I order us something to drink? Or would you rather I leave you now before I anger you any further?" Lotor offered, leaning his elbows forward onto the table. Allura had told herself she wouldn't be coerced into this prince's little power game, but the serious look in his eye presented a challenge she could not pass up.

"You may stay and order whatever you like," she answered coolly. Lotor nodded and pulled out a communication device from his coat, pressing a few buttons. Allura folded her arms and waited until he was finished and had put the device away.

"So if you actually are Altean, why _did_ Zarkon leave you alive?" She demanded.

"It is highly unlikely you will believe this, but it is my personal understanding that my father actually did love his Altean mistress, and afterward came to regret Altea's entire destruction. Perhaps he felt leaving me alive was some small recompense for his actions. Besides, I look Galra enough. Why wouldn't he want to raise me as his heir?" Lotor shrugged.

 _He was right. I certainly do_ not _believe that_ , Allura mused.

"And this is based on you supposing that your father actually has a heart," she scoffed. Lotor's eyes narrowed.

"You have a peculiarly dangerous way of viewing your enemies. Never assume your opponents lack heart. It dictates their every move, and as black as that heart may be, you should never underestimate it. Every adversary you deem monstrous has a weakness, and I assure you, that weakness stems directly from that accursed organ. Feelings and emotions get in the way of our logic. While it wasn't likely logical for my father to leave me alive, I am thus here today, and mistake or not- it has provided you and I with a magnificent opportunity to gain an advantage."

"What opportunity? Advantage over whom?" Allura demanded hotly. Just then the door opened and a servant entered with a bottle of wine and two glasses. Lotor held up a hand that begged patience of Allura, and she begrudgingly allowed the servant to finish serving them. Once the servant departed, Lotor took his glass in his hands and swirled it about gently before taking a sip. Allura watched him with the same sharp look she had kept fixed on him since he first entered the prison cell. At length, the prince lowered his glass, and with a lick of his lips, he leaned back in his chair and spoke.

"As the two sole remaining children of Altea, you and I have a duty. We are male and female, unrelated, and unattached-"

"Rather presumptuous of you to assume I am unattached," Allura interrupted. _Or the last remaining Altean, for that matter_ , she inwardly huffed. Coran was still very much alive after all. But she wasn't about to let Lotor know that. As it was, Lotor ignored her statement entirely and continued.

"Therefore- we have an obligation to our deceased ancestors, to our extinct culture, and to our conscience, to procreate and continue our people's legacy."

Allura made a sound of utter disgust. As if the idea of marrying him wasn't bad enough! Now he wanted her to make him babies! There were no words to express the disgust that coiled within her gut. She was not about to be turned into some broodmare, just because she was one of the last of her kind! What kind of life was that? And what kind of life would her children have? Raised under the roof of the very people who had slaughtered their ancestors? How could any true Altean culture shine forth under the hand of the Galra? It would be a twisted, corrupt fabrication of what once was. She could never be a part of that! All these thoughts tortured Allura to the brink of madness. Her cheeks flushed and she grabbed ahold of her wine to swallow a few gulps. And suddenly, she recognized the flavor. It was Altean wine. She lowered the glass, staring at its clear white contents with sadness.

"Unless of course, you are selfish enough to let Altea's legacy die with _you_ ," Lotor added suddenly. Allura looked up and their eyes locked in a collision of fiery sparks.

"We cannot single handedly bring Altea back from the dead," She argued. "Everything about Altean life is gone. No matter how hard you try, you cannot simply replicate what was! You didn't even grow up on Altea! You were raised as Galra!"

"I do not presume to be a perfect specimen of the species, but under the circumstances, I am all you have left, princess," Lotor replied coolly. "I am your last hope of saving your people from utter extinction."

Well, that wasn't true. Coran was pure blood Altean, and Allura was also unrelated to the advisor. But, _heavens_ , no! Just NO. She winced, despairing of her options. Why had she never considered any long term plans? Had she been so careless? So selfish as to think that because she was one of the last survivors, she could do as she pleased? She pressed her eyes shut and hung her head. That was when she felt a hand lay gently over hers. To Allura's surprise and shame, she had to repress a shudder. And it wasn't out of disgust… The prince's hand was warm, and the effect it had on her was startling.

"Princess…" Lotor whispered softly, his voice infinitely more gentle and close. She dared not open her eyes. "I know this isn't easy to think about, but we owe it to Altea to consider the possibilities. With my position as current leader of the Galra, no one can dispute my word. It is my greatest wish to take you as my queen, and to start the project of bringing Altean blood back into this world. It may have to be a new kind of hybrid race… But Altea will live on nonetheless..."

Allura opened her lips to speak, but they trembled, so she pursed them tighter together instead.

"We don't have to rush things. We can go about this as naturally as you like," Lotor continued. "I wish to court you as I would any other princess, if you will allow me to do so."

Allura shook her head and pulled her hand free from him.

"Nothing about this is natural. I have no choice in the matter!" She snapped. Lotor took a deep breath.

"Don't be mistaken. You have a choice."

Allura looked up in astonishment, a glimmer of hope rising in her heart.

"You can choose to help me willingly, or I can resort to other means of convincing you," Lotor announced, lifting his glass to his lips for another sip. Allura's blood boiled with fury.

"What _other_ means?" She snapped.

"Well, the fate of the Paladins, for one. As you can guess, they are on their way to try and rescue you. They won't win. You can decide whether I spare them…or if they meet their end. Without you, they cannot form Voltron, and we both know how unity is not your friends' strong suit..."

Allura wanted to throw something at him. Luckily, Lotor seemed to sense he had overstayed his welcome. Leaving his now empty glass on the table, he stood.

"I shall leave you to think it over. Good night."

The prince left. The princess screamed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Betrothed**

* * *

Chapter Seven

...

The clock had just ticked past midnight when Lotor was awoken from his sleep with the distinct beeping from his personal comlink. He answered and General Axca's voice came through on the line.

"Your highness, come quickly, the Paladins have arrived."

No further words needed to be said. Lotor was up from his bed, dressed, armed and walking to the bridge in the span of two minutes. The four female generals saluted as the doors to the bridge slid open and their prince marched through. Lotor paused only momentarily to look through the glass window at the four lions jetting through space towards them. Then, he strode to his command chair and settled into it with pleasure. This was the moment he had been eagerly anticipating. The moment where he could bring the Paladins to their knees with one simple bluff. Nothing would make the Paladins stand down and surrender, save perhaps the certainty that Allura would die should they refuse. It was all too easy.

Right on cue, the control console lit with an incoming transmission that read 'unidentified caller'. Lotor had to refrain from smiling as he let the line go on ringing for a good five seconds. He could just imagine the Paladins' waiting on the edge of their seats. Finally, his index finger traced the answering button thoughtfully before suddenly tapping it down.

"Paladins," The prince greeted, bracing his fingers together before the viewing screen. The lead Paladin, the one in black, blipped into view. Shiro.

"Your highness," Shiro replied. His tone and expression was calm, but the anger smoldering within his eyes betrayed the fragility of his emotional state. "I believe you have something of _ours_."

"Indeed. Make your offer," Lotor answered. Shiro's eyes widened fractionally. Apparently it wasn't hard to catch the Black Paladin off guard.

"My offer?" Shiro asked.

"Surely you came prepared to offer some sort of trade," Lotor insisted, arching a slim silver brow. Shiro's off guard expression caused Lotor to inwardly scoff as the paladin scrambled to come up with some smart answer. Had the paladins barreled into this fight without _any_ forethought as to the numerous possible outcomes? How had Voltron managed to defeat the Galra so well thus far with such morons for pilots? Clearly the weapon itself was powerful enough to carry any imbecile to victory.

"What kind of an offer would you consider?" Shiro requested. Lotor sighed. This was all too easy.

"Surrender your lions to me, and you and your team are free to go," Lotor answered.

" _All_ of our team?" Shiro persisted. Lotor nodded.

"The Princess as well." He was not above lying to someone's face.

"Was this your plan all along? To capture the lions? Have Voltron for yourself? The lions will never accept you as a paladin," Shiro reasoned.

"I have no interest in piloting Voltron. I simply need this weapon to cease being used to interfere with my affairs," Lotor replied. "It can sit in a storage unit for the rest of eternity for all I care." Lotor couldn't help but take some amusement from the affronted and horrified look on Shiro's face. Clearly these Paladins were far more emotionally attached to their tools than he previously suspected. Interesting.

"Let me discuss your terms with my team. Will you give us ten minutes to make a decision?" Shiro inquired. Lotor nodded.

"Ten minutes."

…

Allura's exhausted mind was roused from it's tired drifting by the sound of footsteps marching down the hall towards her cell door. It definitely wasn't Lotor. The footsteps were too heavy. A moment later the door burst open and one of Lotor's generals billowed into the doorway. Before Allura could demand what in the name of Altea was going on, she found herself being man-handled by the female's strong hands and muscled out of her cell.

"Hey! What is the meaning of this?" She demanded.

"No squealing, brat," the general grunted, digging one of her clawed fingers deeper into Allura's bicep. Allura winced and tried to jerk away with no success.

One step led to another and soon the bridge doors were swishing open and Allura found herself being shoved roughly down a few stairs to the prince's command chair. Lotor stood just in time to receive her into his waiting arms. She resisted his touch the moment she had recovered her feet, but he drew her back to his chest and refused to release her.

"How dare you!" Allura screamed in outrage. She was not used to being handled in such an abrupt fashion.

"You have two choices," Lotor spoke. His voice was like chilling ice in her ear. "You can do exactly as I say, and get to see your friends. Or you can act like a child, and get thrown back in your cell."

Allura swallowed and became still. She must not be robbed of the opportunity to see her friends. Lotor examined her quiet countenance and nodded.

"Wise choice." He took a seat in his command chair, coaxing Allura to him.

"Sit," he ordered, gesturing to his lap.

Allura's mouth fell open to protest, but then she saw the warning flash in Lotor's eyes and thought better of it. This was by far one of the most humiliating things she had ever had to do. Taking a deep breath, she sat on Lotor's lap, allowing him to situate her as he pleased. What was the point of this? Was she to be displayed as nothing more than a trophy? Yes. It occurred to her, just now, that's exactly what he was doing with her. Playing with her, like his toy. This was a display of his control over her, meant to intimidate and manipulate his opponents, the paladins. Allura's stomach churned with nausea.

"I don't suppose you've come to a decision about my offer yet," said Lotor, running an errant hand through her tousled white locks, smoothing them against her back. Allura shot him a sideways glare.

"Surely the idea of being with me isn't _so_ repelling," he cooed.

"You have too high an opinion of yourself," Allura spat. Lotor laughed, his fingers tangling in her hair.

"Ahhh princess… How I do enjoy your playful banter," he smiled, tugging lightly at the hair in between his fingers. The tugs became firmer, until suddenly, he yanked her head to look at him. Allura gasped.

"But you will refrain before the paladins. Understand?"

Allura bit her lip and nodded. A red light on the console flashed, and Lotor released her hair, smoothing it back into place before casually pressing a button on his control panel. The face of Shiro flashed onto the display screen.

"Allura!" Shiro cried, seeing her.

"Is she ok?"

"Allura are you alright?"

"If that monster has lain one finger on you!"

All the voices of her friends filtered through the audio speakers and soon, their faces were with Shiro's on screen. Allura longed to answer freely, but she felt Lotor's finger tips digging into the small of her back. She held her tongue, waiting for the prince's permission. Pleased, he lifted a finger to stroke under her chin.

"You may answer," he said, at length. Allura glared daggers at him, but she forced herself to focus on her friends.

"I'm alright," she answered carefully, "More or less."

"Thank goodness," sighed Pidge and Hunk in unison.

"Take your hands off her you purple freak!" Lance shouted angrily at Lotor.

The Galra prince did not look amused.

"Have you made your decision then?" Lotor asked them, "Will you turn over the Lions in exchange for your lives and hers?"

 _Don't do it, Shiro. Don't do it,_ Allura prayed silently. But the team appeared to have their mind made up. Their expressions all became grim.

Allura held her breath.


	8. Chapter 8

**Betrothed**

* * *

Chapter Eight

...

"We'll surrender the Lions. On the promise that you will lock them away and never use them. EVER." It was the Black Paladin who said it.

"Excellent choice paladins," Lotor smiled. "We'll make the exchange on the nearest planet. I'll send you the coordinates."

"No!" Allura screeched, "How could you all?! Don't you dare give the lions up for me!" she cried, springing from Lotor's lap. Lotor reached out, as quick as a cat, and snatched ahold of her wrist.

"Calm down princess. Be thankful, you get your freedom," he hushed, switching off the call link with the paladins. Allura frowned and twirled to face him.

"You lied to them!"

"Only in part," Lotor corrected, standing up from his command chair. "I meant what I said. Should they surrender the lions, I am more than willing to let them go… That is, unless you've chosen to refuse my hand..."

Allura could feel her body shaking in anger. She was backed into the worst kind of corner, and nothing could save her. But...at least she could save others…

"You leave me no choice! I won't sacrifice the lives of my friends!" she hissed, going so far as to push Lotor's chest. The prince captured her wrist and tugged her close.

"So, you accept my proposal then?"

The look of delight in his eyes was alarming. Allura's heart went cold with dread. She considered putting up a fight, but what was the point?

"I… accept that you are going to court me… with the intent of marriage," she answered weakly.

"Princess Allura… I promise you will receive nothing but the kindest attentions from me. I will grant you every wish within my ability, and you shall want for nothing," Lotor insisted, taking her hand and kissing it gently. Allura felt sick to her stomach, and the tears finally came to her eyes.

"Don't think for one moment that you could ever bring me happiness," she whispered brokenly, wiping away the moisture she felt dripping down her cheek.

"You think that now. But just wait," Lotor replied softly, releasing her and taking a step back. "Acxa, escort the princess to her own chambers. The one that's linked to mine."

The general stepped forward, but before she could take Allura away, the Altean princess grabbed ahold of Lotor's arm.

"I have your word you won't harm my friends? You'll let them go free?" she insisted.

"Of course, my princess," Lotor bowed.

…


	9. Chapter 9

**Betrothed**

* * *

Chapter Nine

...

Upon entering her new room, Allura did not allow herself to be impressed with the fine amenities or the decor. No matter how pretty Lotor had made her room, it did not fool her into thinking it was any different than her previous prison cell. Well, wait. Actually there was a huge difference. The location. She eyed the door to the adjoined room warily, completely repulsed with the knowledge that Lotor's private chambers were on the other side. Without a moment to lose, Allura strode over to the door to ensure it had a locking mechanism. To her utter horror, it did not. She smoothed her hands across the surface of the touchpad on the wall, but her finger prints had no effect on the controls. Panicked, Allura turned to survey her room for the heaviest piece of furniture. If Lotor thought he could just waltz into her room any time he wanted, he was sadly mistaken! With great difficulty, Allura pushed the full bookcase over to block the entire doorway, followed by a loveseat, a table and a nightstand.

Pleased with her barricade, Allura took a moment to sit on the edge of her bed, which she had pushed against the farthest corner in the room. She crossed her arms, and for the first time, noticed the clock on the wall. It was very early in the morning and she hadn't slept a wink. With reluctance, she pulled back her bedsheets and investigated the softness of the mattress and pillows. They were certainly comfortable, but would they be enough to coax her to sleep? Heaven knew she needed it. Allura decided to give it a try. Ten minutes after her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light. The next thing she knew, she was woken by the sound of light tapping. She stirred, groaning. What time was it? Her tired eyes opened just enough to spot the clock on the far wall. It read 12:00pm. It was noontime?! Allura gasped and sat straight up in her bed. She had never slept in that late in her life! Why, the whole day was practically gone! Another set of light taps finally caught her attention. She rose from bed and smoothed back her wild hair, frowning. Where were those taps coming from?

"Princess? Are you well?" asked a sudden voice from somewhere behind the pile of furniture. Oh! The door!

"I'm fine Lotor!" Allura shouted back grumpily.

"I've brought you breakfast, may I come in?"

At the mention of food, Allura's stomach rumbled.

"No you may not!" she snapped defiantly. She was not about to invite this infuriating male into her presence, even if he did bring breakfast. Just because she'd agreed to his terms of courtship didn't mean she was going to make life easy for him.

"Come now, you must be hungry," Lotor coaxed, "Besides, I have some news for you regarding the Paladins, which I think you would like to hear," Lotor responded. Damn him! Allura was angry now. Of course she wanted to hear about her friends! But why did she have to always accommodate Lotor to get what she wanted? Just once, she wanted to make him have to sacrifice for what she wanted. With a deep groan, Allura folded her arms and closed her eyes.

"Fine," she answered grimly, "But you have to come in from the main door. You are not allowed entrance to my room through the adjoining passage," she commanded. She heard Lotor's dramatic sigh before he resigned.

"Very well."

Allura grinned. Minutes later, Lotor knocked at the main door before opening it automatically himself. The princess was sure to fix him with a fierce scowl. Lotor entered with her breakfast tray in his hands, and a smile of satisfaction on his lips. However, it dropped off the moment his eyes found the barricade of furniture up against the adjoining door.

"I see you've been redecorating," he remarked tersely.

"Ah yes, I'm glad you noticed. I don't know about you, but I think the 'open concept' is a bit overrated," Allura smirked, waltzing over to the tray of food and eagerly picking up a piece of baked bread to munch on.

"Hmmm." Lotor watched her with a calculated gaze, "Yes, especially when that 'open concept' leads to the facilities."

Allura stopped chewing. Oh. And now she had to go to the bathroom too! Gosh darn it!

"I believe you were going to tell me something about the Paladins," she snapped.

"Indeed I was."

"Out with it."

Lotor chuckled and shook his head.

"Such a demanding princess."

"I could say the same of you," Allura huffed. Lotor cocked a brow.

"What I have to say is no joy for me to share, but I wagered the news would be of great relief to you. Thus, I am here to share, and put your mind at ease," Lotor explained. Allura ceased her eating, giving the Galra Prince her full attention.

"Your Paladins were skilled enough to escape me, with their lions."

Allura smiled brightly.

"I knew they would," she announced proudly. "They wouldn't be so naive as to turn the lions over without seeing me in person."

"Yes, well…. I had a convincing decoy. Yet, that green paladin was able to discover the truth of the hologram faster than I anticipated."

"You used a decoy!?" Allura screamed, furious. "How dare you try and deceive them like that! Why, that is the most underhand-"

"I must say, their retaliation was quite impressive," Lotor went on, "However, they are not as well equipped for victory without Voltron. Ultimately, no substantial damage was inflicted to myself or my generals. It didn't take long before your allies were forced to flee the scene."

Allura growled and continued eating angrily, shoving her mouth full of food.

"Are you not pleased?" Lotor inquired curiously.

"Why yes! Can't you see how pleased I am?" She scoffed, stabbing some fluffy white eggs onto her fork rather violently. Lotor sighed deeply before closing the space between them. Allura wanted to step back but she also didn't want to give him any ground. He wasn't going to intimidate her here.

"I suppose it was too optimistic on my part to expect any gratitude from you at this point in time," he admitted. Was that real disappointment in his eyes? Surely not! "But I assure you… " his hand reached up, and gently held her chin, "...That beautiful, bright smile I saw on your face a few minutes ago, was quite worth it to me."

Allura stepped back, freeing her skin of his unwelcome touch.

"Please leave. I would like to eat in peace."

The disgustingly tender expression on Lotor's face finally fell away, much to Allura's relief.

"Of course," he answered, stepping back. He sent one more glance to the blockade of furniture against the door. An amused smile inched onto his lips.

"Shall I have someone come in to take care of that or… ?"

"I'll do it," Allura grumbled. Lotor nodded and exited the room.


	10. Chapter 10

**Betrothed**

* * *

Chapter Ten

...

He was sending her gifts now.

Ever since she had refused to eat any more of her meals with him, Lotor had resorted to other means of courting. Did he really think sending her presents would actually win her over? Allura wanted to take every scrap of clothing, every piece of jewelry, every bouquet of flowers, and flush them out the nearest air lock. Unfortunately, she didn't have access to one. She flushed them down the toilet instead. It took Lotor a few days before he fully got the hint. He shifted tactics. Instead of gifts, he began rewarding her with daily "adventures" to beautiful sights in the galaxy they happened to be passing by. Adventures which he supervised personally. _Joy_. She almost preferred the gifts over having to suffer from his presence. However, there were two giant benefits to these outings.

One: she got to leave the extremely confining walls of her bedroom for some portion of the day. And two: Lotor always insisted that he take Allura in his personal spacecraft to see the view of the day, leaving the fleet altogether to enjoy a sense of privacy. If it weren't for the two guards that always accompanied them, Allura and Lotor were nearly alone. And while Allura had initially resented the idea of privacy with the Galra Prince, she had slowly come to realize, being alone together actually increased her chances of possibly overpowering him and escaping.

Because yes, Allura was entirely dedicated to coming up with a way to escape. So what if she had technically given her word to be engaged to Lotor? Prince Lotor technically claimed to have devoted himself to bringing peace and order to the galaxy, and murdered people daily, so… Yeah.

If she could gain just enough of his trust that he felt comfortable taking her out in his spacecraft _alone_ , without the guards, on one of their adventures… Well, then she could strike. But she had to be strategic. Trust didn't come easily, and as hurt as Lotor pretended to be whenever she inevitably rejected his advances, she knew he wasn't stupid enough to actually let his guard down around her. Even once he did think he had her trust, she was certain he would continue to treat her with utmost caution. The real trick was figuring out how she could appear like she was slowly warming up to him, without raising his suspicions. Thus far, she hadn't any idea. He was doing nothing of significance to change her attitude towards him, and she wasn't going to pretend like his incessant doting on her would eventually break down her walls. Even he knew that wouldn't happen. It was quite evident that he only bothered with the pleasantries in order to further irritate her. He found entertainment in her suffering. And the more she resented it, the more amused he was. The sicko.

"My lady," Lotor's smile was patient as he addressed her in the doorway of her bedroom, bowing, "Are you prepared for our outing?"

"But of course, my lord," Allura bowed back. At this point, she was just playing along with this game Lotor had invented. If she couldn't beat him, why not join him? She was sure Lotor wouldn't experience as much satisfaction this way. That was her new objective. Not letting Lotor get a rise out of her. He was a male who fed off confrontations, and if she could keep her temper, he would soon get bored and desist with this ridiculous behavior. At least, she hoped.

"You look lovely today my beloved," Lotor complimented, extending his elbow for her to take. Allura inwardly groaned. Ok, so she had kept _one_ of his gifts. A new set of clothes. Her paladin suit had gotten stinky after a few days and needed washing. But despite this _small_ victory on Lotor's part, it didn't mean anything. And she knew better than to let Lotor take more credit than he actually deserved. Any decent being would provide her with fresh clothes.

"I do look lovely, don't I? But enough about me. You are looking rather dashing yourself," she returned smugly, letting a sly smile grace her face. Lotor side eyed her as they walked down the hall.

"Well thank you. Someone's refreshingly cheerful today. You're not running a fever are you? Shall I call a nurse?" he inquired, still digging for some kind of reaction.

"I'm doing just fine _dear_ , but that's very thoughtful of you. You are always so very sensitive to my needs," she returned snidely, keeping her smile stubbornly fixed in place. Lotor chuckled.

"Of course."

They came to the landing dock where Lotor's private shuttle awaited. The two guards saluted upon Lotor's approach and extended the ship's loading ramp. Allura noticed how Lotor's grip on her arm increased marginally as they entered the cockpit. Nope, he definitely didn't trust her. But it wasn't just her she didn't trust. Despite the fact that the guards were present, and both capable pilots, Lotor still insisted on flying. The prince was paranoid. Or he really enjoyed flying.

Allura assumed her usual spot in the passenger seat, buckling in.

"Where to today?" she inquired curiously, still maintaining her perky persona.

"I think you'll like it," Lotor grinned, "It's called the Angel Nebula," he said, smoothly navigating the ship through an accumulation of closely situated stars. As they flew, the landscape gradually shifted from utter blackness into exotic pinks, rich purples and glittering blues. Like a brilliant ribbon cutting through a barren wasteland. And at the center of this, a cloud of silver in the shape of extended wings. For the first time in a long time, Allura felt tranquil. At peace. Even when she felt Lotor's eyes shift over to watch her, she didn't care that he saw her enjoyment. She was too busy being enthralled with this beautiful sight before her. Lotor waited a respectful amount of time before speaking.

"This nebula was discovered four hundred years ago, by a galra explorer named-"

"I don't care," Allura interrupted, "It's the most beautiful thing I've seen in a long time, and that's all that matters to me." She took a deep breath, simply letting the view soak into her soul. She couldn't believe she was about to say this, but… "Thank you." She glanced over to observe his reaction.

Lotor blinked. The look of pure astonishment on his face was well worth the sour taste left in her mouth.

"Well…" he cleared his throat awkwardly, "You're welcome, princess." Allura couldn't believe how flustered he was. It was almost endearing… _Almost_.

"Have you seen this nebula in person before?" Allura inquired.

"Once, when I was very little," Lotor replied, his expression suddenly turning cold and distant. Allura tilted her head. This small motion was enough to prompt Lotor to explain.

"The Glara fleet was passing this sector after another one of Zarkon's major conquests, and it just so happened to be my eleventh birthday. Zarkon thought I might enjoy a birthday trip out to the sight."

"And did you?" Allura asked. She told herself she wasn't asking out of actual interest in Lotor's story. She was asking merely for the sake of trying to win his trust. That was all.

"Mostly," the prince shrugged a shoulder. It was a surprisingly human gesture for a monster of a man to make. "Until my father began his lecture about Galra superiority and how I would one day assume leadership of his glorious Empire. How the future of our race would one day rest upon my shoulders and that he truly hoped I wouldn't grow to become a major disappointment to him."

Allura looked down. She didn't know why, but the smallest sensation of pity began to affect her heart. She didn't want to pity Lotor. He didn't deserve it. But she also couldn't help but realize how wonderful her own father was, and how truly lucky she was to have had him.

Lotor shifted in his pilot chair.

"I suppose I've become exactly what he feared all along," he mused darkly. Then he took a deep breath and his somber expression left him, replaced by a sudden smile. It was a cruel one, the corners of his eyes crinkled in wicked amusement.

"Ironic, isn't it? He can crush entire planets under his heel, cause entire civilizations to crumble in fear and submission. Yet, try as he might, he could not prevent his own son from turning against him. From defeating him."

Allura swallowed and made a mental note: _Major daddy issues._

"It is," she agreed.

"But, the universe has its way of balancing itself out," Lotor commented. Then, he turned his amber eyes back over to Allura and a certain softness entered them that made Allura's stomach flip with anxiety and something else. Slowly, carefully, Lotor reached out, his fingers delicately brushing over her wrist until his palm gently rested atop her hand.

"And now you and I can set things right again," he said, squeezing her hand slightly in a gesture she imagined was his attempt at showing affection. Allura wanted to jerk away in disgust, but even that would have been a reaction Lotor might have found entertaining. So she reminded herself to stay calm, even when inside, her mind was raging.

 _How dare he touch me this way! Does he really think a little hand holding will lull me into his sad delusion? How crazy does he think I am? And wow, his hand is actually warm.. Weird._

"Just what do you think we could actually make right?" Allura demanded out loud.

"The renewal of our race, the Alteans, for one," Lotor reminded. Only now did Allura withdraw her hand from his. Lotor let her.

"That's-" she began, but he swiftly interrupted.

"The Galra were never a superior race. Just the most power hungry. The destruction of such a technologically advanced civilization as Altea is enough to prove the Galra's folly. There is a difference between intelligence and blind arrogance. If my father really wanted to rule the galaxy as a superior being, he would have done whatever it took to keep peace with your father Alfor, and bring about an alliance. But no. He was too proud. Just look at our soldiers. Half wits- the lot of them, scrambling over each other to reach the top of the food chain. As if the only way up was to put others down. All in a mad frenzy for honor and glory. Why? I ask you, why?"

Allura analyzed Lotor carefully. It was interesting to see him becoming more passionate as this discussion progressed.

"Perhaps they feel honor and glory are the only true meaning in existence?" she offered.

"Perhaps. But the concept that it had to be achieved through violent means didn't manifest into my culture naturally. Someone put it there, and that someone was named Malchazor. A former gladiator, turned leader, who assumed the throne by force centuries ago. He shaped the Galra culture into the savages they are now. They could be so much _more_ ," Lotor shook his head in disgust.

"Don't you see Allura? I don't just wish to save the Altean race, I also seek to save my own. But to do that, I need to show my people a new standard of living. In my opinion, Altea was the best model of a high functioning civilization. My father stole that model from the world, because it put him to shame. And now I will return it."

Allura considered his words, finding a remarkable amount of sense in them.

 _Maybe he does have some kind of moral compass… Even if his methods are insanely misguided._

"Lotor, as much sense as you are making… And as badly as I too wish for the return of my people… I still don't see how you can possibly restore an entire civilization… It's just not possible. Even if we do-" -ugh, she could barely speak it- "pro-create" -clinical words made it easier- "We could never start an entire population on our own. Not a pure one at any rate."

"Princess… " Lotor sighed, "I know it is hard for you to imagine, but it is possible. I will make it possible. There are ways. I only ask for you to trust me. Please. We want the same thing. Do we not?"

Allura had to be careful about how she answered. The truth was, if the same opportunity arose through other means… She would have taken the chance. Absolutely. And yet… This was Lotor. Was she truly capable of thinking that the end could somehow justify the means?

"I'm not sure yet."

Suddenly, there was a blinking on Lotor's scanners. Allura's eyes lit up with hope.

 _Voltron?_

* * *

 **A/N** :

Hello readers! Thank you for taking the time to check out my story, and thank you to those who are returning after I took SUCH a long absense! I'm back now, for good, and have even started my own **INSTAGRAM** account to prove it! Check out my profile for more details, or go directly onto instagram and look for me : tamingtheriver ! I'll be the one with the unicorn ;P See ya there!

-2Tame a River


	11. Chapter 11

**Betrothed**

* * *

Chapter Eleven

...

"Another ship," Lotor announced. He leaned closer to the screen panel to investigate. His first suspicion was Voltron, but his fingers flew over the controls, quickly assembling data on the incoming ship's make, year, and capabilities. He could practically feel Allura's excited anticipation emanating off of her, which angered him greatly. If it was Voltron-which he couldn't fathom since only a select few individuals knew how to locate his personal craft's unique signature- Allura would need to be restrained. There was no doubt in his mind she would do anything to escape him.

The scanners finished their readings, and Lotor frowned at the identity of the incoming aircraft.

"It's Galra," he said, brows furrowed in confusion. He hadn't sent for any troops. He checked his communication array and found them operating perfectly. No missed notifications.

"Oh," the princess sounded depressed. "They didn't notify you of their approach?"

Lotor didn't answer. He was too busy mentally racing through a list of the most probable scenarios. All his senses screamed danger, so he flipped on the weapons systems and activated the guns.

"Prepare for evasive maneuvers," Lotor ordered his guards, who promptly took seats.

"What? Why?" Allura questioned in confusion, "That's your own Galra ship isn't i- AH!"

Lotor yanked the joysticks just in time to dodge a seeker missile. It blurred past them without warning in a mad, red streak, and arched back around to recalculate and target them.

"Oh my god!" Allura gasped. Lotor opened the throttle, flipping several trim switches and atmospheric stabilizers, gunning the ship into a reverse roll with stunning precision. The missile missed them a second time and Lotor turned towards the enemy ship, navigating to put it directly into his line of sight. He fired a random spray of lasers, not really trying to hit his attacker right away, just put him on the run. It would be much more fun if they were destroyed by their own seeker missile. But not until after he had fully identified them. The enemy ship started to retreat, and the chase began.

 _A rogue ship is highly unlikely._ He mused, turning his ship into a barrel roll. _No traitorous soldier would get past my generals. And they would have warned me in time if they had failed. Unless it was a member of the Blade of Marmora. We've had some trouble with them in the past._

The seeker missile was gaining on them a third time now. Lotor saw it on his scanners. So did Allura.

"It's coming back!" she pointed. As if he hadn't noticed.

"Patience princess," he cooed.

"If you're trying to show off, I already know you're an excellent pilot!" Allura screamed at him, "Stop fooling around and blast that thing!"

Lotor's ship quickly gained on the enemy fighter. He could have flown circles around it, but he refrained, just getting close enough for a good look.

 _If my sources are correct, I believe the former paladin, Keith, is a member of the Blade now. Perhaps he heard of Allura's capture… A stealth attack is more his style._

Plummeting down in a high-side guns pass, Lotor noticed that the enemy's cockpit was darkened, and there were no distinct paint patterns on the strange vessel's exterior. A turret swung about on its aft and suddenly shot at them. Lotor serpentined, dodging the stream of lasers easily enough. He targeted the enemy's aft canon and thumbed the trigger, blowing the cannon up just as they soared by. That had been too easy. Lotor could have blasted the whole ship to pieces just then if he wanted. The enemy ship dove straight up in a panic to get away. Pathetic. Lotor performed a quick wingover and stayed with him.

 _Maybe not Keith then. This is no expert pilot. He's a coward. And this poor starfighter couldn't outrun a space whale. What kind of assassin would choose an outdated piece of scrap metal like that?_

Then, just as he was regaining proximity to the enemy ship, it suddenly flickered and disappeared.

"Where'd it go?" Allura asked, eyes wide. Lotor snorted.

"Just a cloaking device," Lotor answered. Nothing he hadn't seen before.

 _No wonder you're not concerned with speed. You think you can hide. So that's your fun little party trick, is it? Too bad it won't save you from me._

The seeker missile was back now, creeping ominously closer behind them. Allura was grimacing in fear. Lotor decided to end this. Maybe he'd pick up more clues as to who this assassin was from the wreckage. Allura opened her mouth to nag him again.

"Lotor, I swear if you kill us-"

He flipped the ship, launching them into another mind scrambling barrel roll. Lotor almost smiled as he successfully evaded the projectile for the third time in a row. How easy this was. It rocketed past them and flew straight into the invisible starship, tearing it to pieces in an explosion of red and black fragments. By the time Lotor leveled out of the barrel roll, one of the guards had already lost his lunch. Allura just heaved a loud sigh of relief.

"That was a bit dramatic, don't you think?" She chided, running a hand through her wild hair.

"I didn't know you were such a back seat driver," Lotor replied coolly.

"Well, up until lately, I'm usually the one piloting," Allura defended.

"Of course. How could I forget your precious Blue Lion?"

Shutting down the ship's weapon systems and bringing the auto controls back online, the prince took his time to peruse the wreckage. He hoped to see a body, but nothing was left aside from corroded ship remains.

"It's a shame our attacker couldn't survive long enough for me to determine just who he was," Lotor commented.

"I don't think it matters now," Allura replied, also searching the wreck.

"That is yet to be seen."

Wholly dissatisfied, Lotor redirected their flight path back towards the fleet.

 _There's no possibility that just any random assassin could track my location. The ship was definitely Galra. Who among the Galra most wants me dead? That's quite a list… But who would be able to track me?_

And just like that, realization dawned on him. Lotor's eyes widened. How had he not thought of her before?

 _That_ _ **witch**_ _... She's been uncharacteristically absent since I killed father._

Gifted with bizarre magical abilities that Lotor could never fully understand, Haggar alone could find him if she wished. This was a crucial factor to consider. With everything else going on, he had temporarily forgotten. Maybe that's what she had been waiting for… She was sly like that. Well. He wouldn't make that mistake twice.

Once they were docked safely back on board his command ship, Lotor unbuckled and stood to assist Allura to her feet. She unbelted and rose slowly, taking his offered hand. She was shaking. Subtly, Lotor motioned for the guards to leave, and waited, looking at her. She tried to leave too, but he prevented her with a firmer grip on her hand.

"Allura, are you alright?"

Her gorgeous, crystal blue eyes lifted to meet his innocently.

"I'm just fine," she insisted.

 _Stubborn girl._ Lotor could clearly tell she was still rattled from their eventful outing.

"Have you had quite enough of our little adventures?" He teased lightly, smiling at her.

"Of course not. Why would you think that?" She challenged, becoming heated. For once, Lotor hadn't meant to fire her up. He looked down at her hand.

"I noticed you were trembling."

She instantly flushed, her cheeks turning hot pink with embarrassment.

"Oh. I didn't realize," she admitted, removing her hand from his, "I promise you, I'm fine."

"Really?"

"Yes, really," she replied confidently.

Lotor was getting distracted by her frazzled hair. Her rich, white curls were so much thicker than his own, and twice as beautiful, the way they framed her lovely face. One particular strand had turned rogue, and was hanging partly in her eye.

"All things considered, you conducted yourself remarkably well under pressure. I'm impressed," he said, tucking the stray strand of her hair behind her ear. He hadn't been able to stop his hand, and he fully expected severe repercussions for such a gesture. But all Allura did was watch him closely, guarded.

"Lotor," she said at length.

"Yes, Princess."

"I… I regret having yelled at you. Clearly, you knew what you were doing," she admitted, sulking. "And, you did save my life… So… Thank you."

"My, my. Two 'thank you's in one day. I think that's some sort of record," he smirked, playfully, "Are you _actually_ warming up to me?"

Allura rolled her eyes, and Lotor laughed, taking the opportunity to sneak his arm around her waist as he escorted her from his ship. At first she walked stiffly, but after a short time, she relaxed into the contact.

 _Good girl._

Lotor decided to push his luck even further. As they neared the entrance to the ship's interior halls, he leaned his face down to whisper right into her ear.

"Rest assured, my beloved. You need never fear death while _I_ am the one protecting you."

This time, Allura did retaliate.

"Just because you saved my life this once does not mean I'm about to trust you with it blindly. You had your own life to save aboard that spacecraft _too_ ," she snipped, ducking away from him and breaking their contact. Lotor took a deep breath. Back to square one then.

"That's where you are wrong, my princess. Don't think for one second that I would _ever_ hesitate to come to your aid," Lotor replied. Allura glared up at him. She thought he was mocking her.

"Maybe so. But only because you need something from me," she insisted. Lotor sighed.

"You and I want the same things. I know it. You know it. So why not learn to trust each other…?"

"As if you would ever trust _me_ ," Allura laughed.

The doors to the main ship slid open from the hanger, and three of Lotor's generals were there to greet him.

"The guards informed us of what happened," General Zethrid said.

"I'm so sorry my prince," Ezor grimaced.

"I don't know how that enemy fighter slipped past our detection," General Acxa explained, frantic with worry. His generals had every reason to fear punishment for their oversight, but Lotor was in a forgiving mood.

"At ease ladies," Lotor said, "I do not blame you. We will discuss this later, but first, I will escort Princess Allura back to her quarters. Continue monitoring the bridge with Narti until I return," he commanded them. They saluted. Lotor laced Allura's arm once more in his own, and they continued their walk through the ship, towards their bedchambers.

After a few minutes in silence, Lotor spoke.

"I have an idea."

"Do share."

"How would you like to spar with me?" Lotor inquired, tilting his head to look down at her. Allura hesitated.

"You mean with weapons?"

"If you so desire."

"For what purpose?" Allura questioned, all skepticism.

"Call it a trust exercise."

"You would willingly hand me a weapon and let me attack you?"

"Don't pretend like you haven't been dreaming of such an opportunity every night since your capture," Lotor goaded. Allura didn't refute him. They arrived at the entrance to her bedroom door, and Lotor opened it for her. She lingered at the threshold.

"Alright," she agreed finally. "I would like that. Tomorrow then?"

"It's a date," Lotor grinned.

The pure fury of her glare as she closed the door on him made Lotor laugh.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Thank you to those of you who reviewed and expressed their happy "welcome back"s! I so appreciate you! News updates for this fanfic-among others are now being posted on my fanfiction instagram: tamingtheriver, for those of you IG users! Go check me out and feel free to DM me there! I want to have open discussions with my readers about my stories and how I can improve.

Thanks again!

-2Tame a River


	12. Chapter 12

**Betrothed**

* * *

Chapter Twelve

...

Allura twisted her hair, winding it around and around until it curled into a perfectly tight bun on the top of her head. She banded it together with her pink tie and examined herself in the mirror. Her paladin armor had kindly been returned to her for the purpose of the sparring session and she couldn't help but notice just how sparkling clean it was. It hadn't been this white in months. Even the carbon scoring and scratches from previous battles had somehow vanished, buffed out without a trace. Lotor must have had an excellent armorist on board. Come to think of it, she never recalled seeing even the slightest blemish on any of Lotor's own battle suits. Or his regular suits, for that matter. Must everything about him be flawless?

Memories from yesterday flashed before her mind's eye. How expertly the prince had piloted his spacecraft. His battle tactics were impeccable, and his nerve? Unwavering. Allura had never witnessed a pilot fly with such a fusion of steely determination and poise. Clearly, he was a master at outer space warfare. Then again, why did this surprise her? He had evaded Voltron many a time, and had already proven himself capable of capturing a paladin, with minimal effort. Even if she could somehow manage to take over a Galra spacecraft, or free the Blue Lion, how likely was it that she would actually succeed in escaping him? Of course, there was the slight advantage of knowing Lotor wouldn't actually kill her. He was too invested in his idea of restoring the Altean race to let her die.

 _I still don't know what I think about all of this. I wish I had Coran to talk this over with. He would help me clear my head. I miss him terribly… The whole team. They must be worried sick over me by now._

Allura hung her head. How badly she wished for a big welcome home group hug from the whole team. Instead she was stuck here, with an infuriating prince who was as charming as he was confusing. Why did he have to give her such teasing looks, and flash those sharp toothed grins of his? Why did he have to constantly touch her in subtle little ways that made her skin crawl? And why must he spin his convincing lies into webs of logic and reason so as to disorient her, and make her doubt her own convictions? Being around him was maddening.

Maybe today would be the perfect day to finally release some of her pent up frustrations. She might even get to land a few hits to her captor's head, if she was lucky. This was the Galra Prince who had skewered Zarkon's body with a piece of shrap metal. She had seen Lotor's lethal sword fighting skills with her own eyes. Allura rather doubted she stood a fair chance against him in the sparring ring. But blast it all if she wouldn't give it her best go!

There was a knock on her door, and Allura knew it was time. Pasting a smile onto her face, she opened the door to find General Ezor standing there.

"His highness, Prince Lotor, has requested I escort you to the sparring room," the spunky alien announced. Allura frowned. This was the first time Lotor had not come to fetch her personally. How odd.

"Very well," Allura replied, following the general out into the hall. "I take it Lotor was too busy to escort me himself?"

"Prince Lotor has tasked me with giving you a sparring lesson," Ezor replied.

"A sparring lesson?" Allura asked, incredulous.

 _How insulting! Just how hapless does he think I am?_

"That's right," Ezor answered with a smirk. "Someone has to evaluate your skill level and make sure you're tallents haven't been over exaggerated. Lotor wouldn't try and hurt you of course. But you know. Accidents happen. He'd rather not kill you by mistake."

"That's comforting," Allura quipped. Apparently Lotor liked to take his sparring sessions rather seriously.

 _Well fine then._

General Ezor led her into a room that was designated as the weapons/sparring quarters where several guards were already wrestling on one of the mats in the corner of the room. Allura watched as they attacked each other with savage ferocity. From the sounds of their grunts and cries of pain, they didn't appear to be holding anything back either. Was it the Galra way to accidentally kill your sparring partners? For honor and glory?

"So!" Ezor gestured to a vast wall of weapons, "Just what kind of weapon do you specialize in using?" she inquired. Allura gazed at the variety of handheld knives, bo staffs, swords and dual blades.

"Lately, I've been most accustomed to using my bayard," Allura admitted.

"Oh, I'm sorry, your bayard is currently confiscated and is not a viable option for this exercise," said Ezor, feigning an apologetic tone, "Looks like you'll just have to pick something else."

Allura narrowed her eyes at the pink skinned life form, deciding she didn't like her.

"That won't be a problem," she assured, "I'm specialized with a variety of weapons," She walked up and selected a hand knife, toggling the switches to explore the vibro blade settings. It was a similar handle to her bayard and she tested the feel of it in her grip. She rather liked her bayard whip, but fighting in close quarters with Lotor would call for a different kind of defense. Allura looked up and eyed Ezor's smirking face. Then again… she would only be fighting the general this round. Might as well have some fun with her.

Decided, Allura set the hand knife down and picked up a vibro whip handle.

"A whip huh?" Ezor huffed, "Sure you don't want to reconsider?"

Allura walked out onto the nearest sparring mat and activated her suit's helmet.

"I'm sure."

Ezor sauntered onto the mat with her hands on her hips.

"Alright paladin," the general taunted, "Show me what you got."

 _She's going to play dirty_ , Allura thought, _She'll probably cloak herself._

Allura activated her whip, the tail lashing out in a quick strike towards her opponent. Ezor back flipped away easily, and just as Allura suspected, cloaked herself from sight. Allura waited, turning the audio on her helmet up to listen intently for any sound that would give away Ezor's position. After a click, Allura picked up the lightest tap several feet behind her. She spun on a dime and unfurled the whip to lash out in a wide arch. The tip caught Ezor's invisible ankle, wrapping around it and Allura yanked hard, bringing the female to the ground. Ezor's cloaking device clicked off from the impact of the fall, and Allura launched to land on top of her. The two females ground fought, tumbling sideways over and over. Allura ended up underneath Ezor on the third roll, straddled, and threw her arms up to protect her face just as Ezor went for a punch. She was forced to continue shielding her face and neck as Ezor beat at her forearms and shoulders mercilessly, clipping her nose once.

"That all you got princess? I expected more from you!" Ezor paused briefly to laugh at her expense. That was her mistake.

Allura had been waiting for an opening, and struck out swiftly with an uppercut that smashed Ezor's under jaw, rattling her teeth and effectively shutting her up. The general fell backwards, disoriented, and Allura followed by twisting her torso and hooking her knee flexibly around Ezor's throat. She slammed the alien backwards into the ground and pinned her there with the power of her legs. In this guard position, Allura was able to apply even more pressure on top of Ezor's neck. Ezor desperately tried to push at Allura's leg with her hands and wiggle away, but Allura caught one of her wrists and yanked her into an arm bar. Ezor cried out in pain.

"You were saying?" Allura prompted. Ezor groaned angrily, doubling her efforts to try and get away. But Allura's grip held firm.

 _This is nice,_ she thought, as Ezor flailed, _I wasn't sure I'd actually enjoy myself, but I'm glad I agreed to this._

The sound of Ezor's gasping made Allura let up finally, but just a little bit. The minute Ezor tried to hit her again with her free hand, Allura pulled her trapped arm all the harder.

"YA-OWCH! Alright I submit! I submit!" Ezor cried out.

"The lesson's over already? Are you sure?" Allura taunted.

The sound of loud clapping suddenly interrupted them. Allura released Ezor, letting the female free, and glanced over her shoulder to see Lotor standing there in his uniform, his white hair all tied up in a bun, smiling at her.

At the realization of her master's presence, Ezor jumped speedily to her feet.

"I hope you weren't taking it easy on my beloved, Ezor," Lotor drawled, "The princess deserves a fair challenge."

Ezor giggled a bit too giddily, putting her arms behind her back to hide as she rubbed her wrist.

"Of course, my prince. You're right. I'll be sure to make it more _difficult_ for her next time," she promised, shooting Allura a quick glare. Allura didn't care. She just collected her whip from off the ground where it had fallen.

"You're dismissed general," Lotor ordered, his yellow eyes sparking in rebuke at his subordinate. Wholly defeated, Ezor left, with a pout on her lip. Allura noticed the other sparring guards had left too. With a 'swish' of the sliding doors, they were completely alone. Allura strolled over to the weapons rack.

"A fair challenge hmm?" She asked, replacing the whip on the wall, "Tiring me out with a pseudo-fight before the real session is hardly what I call fair."

She sensed rather than saw Lotor walk up and stand just behind her. He was so close she could feel the warmth of his breath on her neck as he spoke.

"You don't look tired to me. Don't pretend like you didn't enjoy the little warm up," His voice dripped, rich and smooth into her ear. Allura didn't dare turn around to face him. He was standing too close. Instead, she just stood rigidly.

"Luckily for you, I _did_ enjoy it," Allura replied taughtly, watching as Lotor stepped around her to examine the weapons wall.

"I thought you might. General Ezor is a faithful warrior who has proven her worth on many occasions, but she has certain faults I would prefer to keep in check," Lotor explained, removing a fine, steel bladed sword from off the rack. He rotated the blade slowly, allowing Allura to appreciate the expert craftsmanship of the weapon.

"I didn't know you were such a traditionalist," Allura remarked, reaching herself for the hand knife she had replaced on the rack earlier. Lotor just turned his devilish grin on her.

"There is a lot of things you have yet to learn about me, my love."

 _Why must he call me that?! UGH… Keep it together Allura, don't let him see you squirm._

"Hmm," Allura turned away, walking back into the sparring ring, "Will one of those things be what it sounds like when you beg for mercy?" She activated her hand knife and adjusted the length of the plasma blade, assuming her ready stance. Lotor chuckled darkly, casually spinning his blade as he followed her into the ring.

"I'm afraid I don't even know what that sounds like. I don't beg for anything…"

"We'll see about that," Allura taunted.

Lotor's eyes narrowed and he struck. Allura parried. Lotor struck again, and she parried. Back one step, forward two. Back another step, a quick side step, a dodge, an opening. She struck. He deflected, the ring of his blade sharp in her ear. She was forced back another pace, only to regain it a moment later, putting him on the retreat for the first time. He narrowly avoided the tip of her blade as it slashed the air by his cheek. For the briefest moment, she thought she saw surprise in those yellow eyes. A thrill of satisfaction traveled down her spine and she doubled her advance, surging with new confidence. He took another step back, and another, batting away her strikes. His footwork was smooth, and his counters perfectly calculated. Allura soon came to suspect that his careful back steps were not a retreat at all, but that he was toying with her. Just as she had started to suspect a trap, Lotor struck and their blades clashed in a lengthy lock. Allura held her blade with all her strength, but there was no overpowering him. She was struggling to maintain this much force. She had to be strategic. As her mind raced for an answer to this dilemma, Lotor winked at her. He was enjoying this! Making her think! Making her dance for him. Allura growled in outrage and with a feline like cry, she pushed all the harder, fueled with a new surge of power. Lotor back stepped, in order to keep balance, and she escaped from under his crushing weight. She took a deep breath, her arm muscles aching, and hand burning from holding the blade so tightly.

"Tired yet?" He asked. He didn't appear to be panting at all.

"Not a chance," she spit back. Lotor lowered his blade and paced, encircling her. Allura didn't turn her back on him.

"Just say the word and we can stop. I don't want to exhaust you," Lotor offered. Allura could tell he was trying to be genuine in his concern for her, but it was only making her angrier.

"I don't need to be coddled," she snapped, launching herself at him once more.

The fight continued in a blur of strikes, parries and dodges. Allura wasn't certain if Lotor was taking it easy on her or not, but if he was, she didn't dare want to be up against him at his fullest. She was smart enough to realize this at least.

"I knew you were an excellent warrior," Lotor said, as he parried one of her attacks, "but I'll admit, I didn't know you were quite this good."

"I'd thank you for the compliment if I thought you weren't just flirting," Allura remarked.

"So what if I am?" He grinned. "A compliment is a compliment."

Allura stepped back, sweaty and tired. She was about to reply with something snarky, but a voice came over the loudspeaker. It was General Acxa.

"My Prince, you are needed at the bridge. Urgently."

Allura tilted her head. _What could that be about?_

 _..._

* * *

 _A/N: Thank you readers for returning once more! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!_

 _If you didn't already know, I have an INSTAGRAM account now, dedicated to my writing and fanfiction! Check out my bio for more info, or search for me at tamingtheriver and follow me on there!_

 _-2Tame a River_


	13. Chapter 13

**Betrothed**

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

...

Lotor stared long and hard at the blue lion on the screen before him. The lion's eyes were glowing actively. They had not been doing so before. It appeared that the Paladin's were now trying some new tactics... Perhaps they were attempting to link to the metal machine somehow, and command it to return to them? But only one paladin could control a lion at a time. And wasn't the blue lion linked to Allura?

"How long has this been going on?" Lotor inquired. General Acxa stood just behind him, her arms folded as she glared hard at the blue lion in the screen. None of them dared enter the room since it had become active. It was too lethal of a weapon to underestimate.

"Within the last five minutes," she answered. "One of our mechanics was working on its jaw, trying to get it open manually. Then all of a sudden, it's eyes glow and it lifts itself from lying down, to a sitting upright position. It hasn't moved again since, but something shifty is going on."

"I don't like that thing in our hangar," General Zethrid grouched. "It could tear us apart."

Lotor considered his options. Before Allura, the blue lion was piloted by another. Presumably another member of the current paladin team, since Keith had gone awol. It was entirely possible that the previous pilot was trying to control it. But how? Lotor's eyes glimmered. There were so many secrets yet to unlock from these ancient super weapons, most concerning of all, the energy source that powered them. Yet this important information was not easy to attain, considering they needed access to enter the bridge in order to run their tests. Lotor had been considering convincing Allura to open the bridge for him… But he had been waiting to see if his engineers would prove themselves worthy of their pay grade. Evidently, the lion didn't want them inside its head.

"Bring Allura to me," Lotor commanded. Zethrid stalked off.

"You suspect she could be doing this?" Acxa inquired.

"I don't know yet."

"If you think she will willingly help you to get inside that lion, you put too much confidence in her," Acxa commented.

"I have confidence in my abilities to get what I want," Lotor replied coolly. For all Allura's stubbornness, she was easy to manipulate. She had too many vulnerabilities to uphold her untouchable facade.

"She's not going to bend to your will," Acxa said. Lotor prickled.

"You doubt my resolve?" Lotor questioned sharply. His anger was rising. this was not a conversation he wanted to have with his most trusted general. Acxa looked down, submissively.

"I'm just not certain you can force someone to respect you. Much less, fall in love with you.." Acxa replied carefully.

Ah, so she isn't just talking about the blue lion, is she? She's questioning my entire plan. Her mistake.

"I don't need her to love me, and I won't even need her to respect me. So long as our goals align, that is what matters," he hissed defensively, "Now don't speak to me on this subject again."

Acxa nodded and fell silent. Moments later Zethrid's loud footsteps were heard, and she appeared with Allura. The princess was still in her paladin uniform.

"What's going on?" She asked. Lotor stood up from the terminal he had been crouching over and turned to address his betrothed.

"The blue lion seems to have become active. And I'm wondering why. And how. Is it you?"

Allura's eyes widened.

"N-no, it's not me," she stuttered. Lotor folded his arms behind his back and paced to stand directly in front of her.

"My love, you know you have no reason to fear telling me the truth. If you were to try and connect with your lion, I wouldn't blame you. You've already made it quite clear you don't want to be here," he said softly, crafting his expression to one of gentle understanding.

"If I'm somehow making the Blue Lion become active, it's happened subconsciously. I didn't tell it to do anything," Allura promised earnestly, her gaze pleading. Lotor considered her for a moment. And then a thought occurred to him.

"Doesn't your lion have a self defense programming? When it feels you are in danger… Does it not come online to your aid?" He asked. Allura blinked.

"Well… Actually yes… I believe it does," Allura mused. "I've never seen it personally, but Lance and Shiro have both experienced that with their lions," she explained. Lotor nodded.

"That must be it then.. Your lion sensed your anxiety as we were sparring, and perhaps it thought you were in real danger," he reasoned calmly. Then he smiled.

"Were you truly afraid princess?" He asked, reaching out to stroke her cheek. Allura swatted his hand away.

"Of course not!" She yapped.

"Your lion certainly thought you were. It doesn't know that I would never harm you…" Lotor tilted his head, still smiling at her. Allura avoided his eye contact.

"Is this all you needed me fore then?" She demanded.

"Yes," Lotor answered, "You may return to your chambers now if you wish. You must be hungry by now," he dismissed, turning back to to the live feed of the blue lion. It's glowing eyes had faded to black.

"Actually… I was wondering.."

Lotor blinked, curious of what Allura was about to say.

"Yes?"

"Would you join me for dinner? I would like to eat with you."

Lotor sent General Acxa a quick "you were saying?" glance. She shook her head. He turned slowly to face Allura and smiled.

"I would like that very much."

…

"Lance."

Shiro's hand rested atop the red lion pilot's shoulder. Lance opened his eyes, looking up at his leader dazedly from where he was sitting in the castle's lounge.

"Were you able to make contact with the blue lion?"

"It's too far away to tell…" Lance sighed, "But I did feel something… maybe."

Shiro nodded, patting Lance's shoulder supportively.

"Keep trying. I have faith in you. We'll save Allura yet."

...


	14. Chapter 14

**Betrothed**

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

...

Allura's invitation to Lotor for dinner was a necessary evil if she wanted the prince to come to trust her. The bizarre occurrence with the lion becoming suddenly active might have caused fresh speculations to creep into Lotor's mind about Allura's intentions. She had to make amends somehow. If she didn't, it was likely Lotor would not let his guard down around her for a long time. As it was, he monitored her carefully and had her watched by soldiers or his generals whenever she was allowed outside of her chamber. Her meals were eaten in the presence of a servant, and even her sleep was checked on by a small camera that she noticed blinking a small red light in the middle of the night. The first night she'd noticed it, she had a fit to Lotor about it.

"How often is that thing on?! I demand to know just how much you've been spying on me!" She wailed. Lotor had put his hands up and assured her it was merely to check to make sure she was safe at night, and the camera was not active during the day. Allura was not convinced but she hadn't much say in the matter anyway. There was only so much in her life she was actually still in control of at this point. Apparently choosing to eat with or without the prince's company was one thing she had a say about. Hopefully this dinner would prove to Lotor that she was deciding to let him get a bit closer to her.

After having showered and changed from the sparring sessions, Allura prepared the table. The dinner would be served in five minutes and she had no doubt Lotor would be precisely on time. She had chosen to wear a dress this evening with her hair down. The lavender, floor length gown was rather flattering on her with its heart shaped neckline and sleeves that didn't cover her shoulders. It was too bad Allura didn't feel pretty tonight. She felt the exact opposite. Placing the blame on her circumstances didn't change the fact that she was turning into a liar and master manipulator. Even if this was Lotor, even if it was for the chance at freedom, it made her sick to her stomach. How much more of her soul would be corrupted by the end of this?

"Let's see," Allura murmured, looking over the table. "I think that's good." She tapped her chin eyeing the arrangement of flowers and decor. Would Lotor care? Probably not. But in the very least, it had to appear like she had put effort into this. In the next moment, the door pinged. She walked over, pressing the enter button on the wall panel. The door slid open and almost immediately Lotor's eyes widened upon seeing her.

"You look lovely tonight, Princess," he complimented, pleasure beaming in his yellow eyes as he looked her up and down. Allura tried not to roll her eyes.

"Thank you," she attempted to smile flirtatiously, and stepped aside from the door, "Will you come in?"

The smile must have worked because when Lotor did step in, he came right into her personal space and leaned in to put his lips right up against her ear.

"With such a warm welcome, I almost suspect a trick," he whispered, his warm breath washing into her ear and down her neckline. Allura closed her eyes, temporarily swept up by the sensation. Then Lotor walked away, back to the table and pulled out a chair, gesturing for her to sit.

"What trick could I possibly pull on you?" She replied carefully, moving to take her seat. She couldn't let him see her sweat.

"None. Which is why I already see it coming," Lotor replied, scooting her chair in for her before moving to take his own on the other end of the table. He wore one of his stylish black suits, with purple and white trim.

"Of course you do," Allura smirked. The servants entered the room moments later, and the food was presented to them on the table. It was only after the servants had left the room that Lotor took the wine bottle on the table, uncorked it, and poured some into Allura's glass.

"So," Lotor said, pouring some wine into his own glass.

"So," Allura returned.

"Are you going to start the banter on our ethical and moral divides or shall I?" He grinned. Apparently, he was in a rare humor tonight. This was excellent. Allura laughed lightly.

"Actually, I thought I'd keep things civil for a change. I was hoping you would tell me more about yourself," Allura admitted, picking up the glass he had poured her, and stirring it gently before taking a sip.

"Ah," Lotor seemed genuinely taken off guard, "And here I thought you already knew everything about me."

"Maybe I believed so before, but lately, I've come to see there is much about you I do not understand," Allura admitted.

"For example?" Lotor inquired, starting to eat his meal.

"Your upbringing. You mentioned the other day on our flight to the Angel Nebula that your father placed a lot of responsibilities on your shoulders at a very early age. How old were you before you realized your father was brainwashing you?"

"That's a very long story Allura," Lotor smiled sadly as he looked down at his plate.

"We have all night, do we not? Or is there some other matter of importance you must see to this evening?"

Lotor sighed, lifting his eyes to meet hers across the table. "Rest assured, you are the greatest matter of importance for me to see to."

Allura nearly snorted. Such contrived flattery on his part was getting old. However, Lotor continued.

"I suppose sharing some of my history with you would be the polite thing to do, considering I am courting you," Lotor conceded, taking another bite.

"So tell me then. When did you start rebelling against your father?" Allura pressed, putting some vegetables on her fork and plopping them into her mouth. Lotor wiped his lips with his napkin.

"I knew pretty early on that my father was deranged. It didn't take me long to realize all my endeavors to please him would never be enough. I worked, and trained, and fought, and nothing I did was good enough. So I stopped caring about what my father wanted and started thinking about what I wanted. I was sixteen when I made the decision to start researching who my mother was and stumbled upon what was left of my father's saved Altean records," he finished, taking another bite of food. After he swallowed he continued, "When I wanted more, I began my own private expedition to recover what was left of Altean life and knowledge throughout the galaxy."

"How long did that take you?" Allura inquired curiously.

"Well, one could argue I'm still conducting Altean research even now," he smiled, looking at her under hooded eyes. Allura didn't like when he gave her that look. It made her uncomfortable. She blushed, looking down to her food.

"Ha ha. Very funny. Alright… So you became obsessed with learning about Alteans… and then what?" Allura asked, taking another sip of her wine.

"I decided if there was a way that I could rebuild what my father worked so hard to destroy, then at least I would be doing some good in this world," Lotor answered. His expression was serious, but Allura sensed there was more that he wasn't sharing. However, she didn't push it.

"And your plan… To marry me and for us to have children… you honestly think this will save our people from extinction?" Allura questioned, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms.

"It's a beginning," Lotor insisted, "One I'm not willing to compromise on."

"And what if I'm unable to have children? Did you ever consider that?" Allura pointed out, deciding to throw him a curve ball. Lotor's reaction was most satisfying. He dropped his fork entirely and looked at her with a startled expression. Allura smiled smugly. Lotor caught on to her little game fast.

"You're funny," he allowed, shaking his head, picking his fork back up.

"I could be serious."

"You're not, or else you would have told me immediately if that were the case. No doubt to hope I would release you," Lotor replied quickly. Even as Lotor spoke, Allura mentally beat herself up for not having thought of lying to him sooner. She could have very well pretended she wasn't able to have kids! Why didn't she think of that before?!

"If I've never been tested then how would I know?" She snipped.

"But you have been tested. Every Altean princess is expected to one day procure an heir to the throne, and it would have been something your doctors were sure to test for as soon as you were old enough," Lotor responded flatly.

 _Darn_. Allura thought angrily. _He does know Altean culture_. Her frustration must have shown on her face because now it was Lotor's turn to smile smugly at her.

"My turn," he said.

"Your turn for what?" Allura eyed him suspiciously.

"I get to ask you some questions," Lotor said, leaning back in his chair leisurely and looking at her with his sharp, glowing eyes.

"Alright. Ask away. I have nothing to hide," Allura assured.

"Have I stolen you away from another lover? Someone else you hold dear and had hoped to be with? One of the Paladins perhaps?" Lotor inquired. Allura found herself flustered at the mere consideration of his question.

"I-no! No, of course not! The other paladins and I have a strictly _professional_ relationship," she asserted passionately. Lotor held up a hand.

"Very well. If this is so, just who did you imagine yourself with one day then? Surely not another Altean after the destruction of your home world," Lotor pointed out. Allura sighed.

"In truth… I have been so wrapped up in my grief for my father and my people… I f my mission to stop the Galra and free the galaxy.. I hadn't allowed myself to think about my own personal future," Allura admitted, rather stunned at this realization herself. She looked at Lotor, and he was staring at her with deep appreciation.

"So selfless…" He murmured, "Had you really no ambition outside of Voltron and the Coalition?"

"Perhaps I thought focusing on my own life would no longer bring me pleasure. I couldn't imagine myself being happy in a world without my people. I had to choose something good to do to distract me from my own pain…" and as Allura spoke, she had to fight back the sudden threat of tears.

 _No, no I will not cry. Not now._ She forced back the emotion, locking it securely away. She had to be strong. Show no weakness.

Lotor leaned forward over the table, placing a hand over hers. She let go of her fork and allowed him to take it.

"Allura," he said tenderly, "I know little of romance... but I do know that the start of any relationship begins with hope. You must allow yourself to hope that things could turn out well between us. If you don't, you will condemn yourself to eternal unhappiness," he said, his eyes gazing into hers softly. "I never considered myself being happy with someone either. I never thought I could make someone happy. Especially not after my father made it perfectly clear how worthless of a living being I am. But in this, we both have a mission… We both have a purpose, and a reason to let ourselves find happiness. Will you not explore this opportunity with me?"

Allura considered his words carefully, knowing full well to beware his silver tongue. Yet even as he tried to spin his web around her, she had another trick up her sleeve. A trick that just might work.

"If I were to go along with this plan willingly… Would you consider an alliance with Voltron?" She inquired. Lotor cocked his head, appearing as if this was something he had never thought of before.

"Do you think they would believe us if you did change your mind? Would they truly agree to a cease fire?" Lotor asked. That was another matter entirely. Allura was sure her teammates would think she had lost her mind, or that she had been brainwashed by Lotor, if she did decide to side with the prince.

"That's… Not what I'm asking. I'm asking if _you_ would be willing," Allura clarified.

Lotor remained silent for a long moment, his eyes far away and thoughtful. During that time, Allura found herself focussing on the strangely comforting sensation of his hand as it held hers, and the way his thumb stroked her wrist affectionately. How warm his hand was, and how steady. At last Lotor looked back at her, emerging from his thoughts.

"If I were to believe you were genuine and trustworthy in your acceptance of my plans… Then yes. I would consider it. But that is unlikely to happen."

Allura frowned.

"You don't believe I would genuinely agree with you?" Allura asked. Lotor sat back, releasing her hand.

"As much as I would hope for that- no. I don't believe you would."

Allura was disturbed by this statement. Lotor was determined to distrust her then… How would she bridge this gap? Her mind raced for the answer to a dilemma she had never had to solve before.

"Neither of us know just how this is going to play out. You never know… I could change your mind.. You might fall completely in love with me and willingly let me go," Allura smiled coyly, taking another sip of her wine. Lotor lifted an eyebrow.

"Is that so?" He chuckled, "And just how would you go about making me to fall in love with you?"

"Well, I could say something sincere and sweet," Allura offered, leaning forward onto the table with her elbows and propping her chin up on her hands.

"Something like.." Lotor prompted playfully. Allura's coy expression fell away to something more heartfelt.

"You are not worthless, Lotor. Even _I_ don't believe that..."

Lotor laughed, shook his head dismissively, and took another bite of food.

"I mean it," Allura insisted. Lotor shot her a glance as he chewed. Then he swallowed.

"If only I could believe you."

He smiled sadly.

Despite herself, Allura's compassion got the best of her. Her heart broke for him.

* * *

 _A/N: Hello readers! Thanks for tuning back in to this story! I apologize, it came out later than I wanted. But I hope you enjoyed the chapter and leave me some nice reviews! Also- have you gotten the chance to find me on instagram yet? If not you can find me at tamingtheriver !_

 _-2Tame a River_


	15. Chapter 15

**Betrothed  
**

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

...

Lotor wasn't sure why Allura thought talking to him about his emotions and self-esteem was a failsafe way to gain his trust. Flattery never swayed him, even if he hadn't gotten much of it growing up. He had eventually learned that flattery didn't really matter. His actions proved his worth. Not people's opinions. And even if Allura was being sincere, that didn't change anything. Why should he care what she thought of him? What was someone's 'worth' anyway? It was a very lucid concept. All he knew was he had a mission, and if talking about his personal life would help soften Allura's resentments and make her more cooperative, then so be it. However…

It was the next morning after Allura and had invited him to dine with her, and yet Lotor was _still_ reflecting over their discussion. He stood in his refresher room, leaning over his sink and shaving his cheeks.

 _She's playing with me. She has to be._

And yet there was the smallest flicker of hope that refused to fizz out. What if she _was_ being genuine? What would that mean? He wasn't sure how to even react in that scenario. He was used to females fawning over him. He was a prince, for goodness sake. And yet, in this scenario, Lotor actually _wanted_ Allura to like him, and it hadn't even occurred to him what his next step with the princess would be after this was accomplished.

Of course her fondness of him was bound to make her more cooperative. He couldn't afford to have her always so defiant. But if she was warming to him, how did he keep her interested and not accidentally ruin his progress?

 _This is ridiculous,_ he mused, _I can keep a girl interested. Can't I? What have I to worry about?_ He shot a smile at himself in the mirror.

 _Nope. It's hopeless. I'm not egotistical enough for this._ The smile dropped off his face.

Perhaps he wasn't in the mood for wooing.

Only problem was, he had a time crunch. His ship was nearing the secret base he'd kept virtually unknown from the rest of the world. And somehow, he had to break the news of his most hidden project to Allura before their arrival… The trick would be how to make sure she would not completely overreact. Once she knew the truth about his plans, it would change everything.

 _It would help if she was head over heels in love with me. She would be more likely to trust my good intentions. Otherwise, she will begin to doubt. I have to turn the charm on even higher…_

Lotor sighed, staring into the haunting yellow eyes within the mirror. Sometimes he forgot those were _his_ eyes. Lotor blinked at the sound of his gauntlet alert ring.

"Lotor," he answered.

"My Lord, our scanners are detecting mass amounts of movement 400 clicks ahead. We'll be able to ID soon. Best be prepared," Acxa stated.

"I'm on my way to the bridge," Lotor replied, turning off his communication device. He straightened his jacket and glanced towards the door of the bathroom that Allura shared. It was locked, of course. And yet something in him wished to know just what she was doing behind there. Sleeping in?

 _What if I knocked?_ Lotor smiled wickedly.

He lifted a fist, reconsidered, then lowered it again. No point in riling her up. What was he even doing? He had a bridge to man. Lotor shook his head and exited the bathroom into his bedroom. He grabbed his personal blaster and holstered it then left his room and made his way for the command center.

When he arrived, all four of his generals were waiting for him. Narti was first to acknowledge his entrance with a silent nod. He nodded back and took his control chair.

"We've identified the disturbance. It's the Galra fleet," Acxa reported seriously, coming to stand by his side.

"I had my suspicions. This must be the fleet that sent out the pair of attack fighters from a few days ago,"Lotor assured. "Activate the cloaking shield."

"You know they are looking for you. Why not confront them and win? Why not assume your role as leader to our nation?" Acxa questioned.

"Because I have no interest in ruling Galra," Lotor replied coolly. "Furthermore, I don't intend to let that Hagar witch discover my plans. If she finds us, she will find me out."

"Very well," Acxa sighed. Lotor knew she wasn't in agreement with his decision to forgo becoming Lord over the Galra. But he had much bigger concerns. Reviving the Altean race being the main one. Zethrid stood by the ship's system controls and personally oversaw the activation of the cloaking shield. Lotor leaned forward in his chair, bracing his elbows on his knees and propping his chin on his clasped hands. It appeared, from the placement of the ships, that it was Commander Sendak he was dealing with.

"Navigate beneath them," he ordered. Flying below the fleet would give them a better chance at passing completely unnoticed, since the ship's radar system wasn't built to examine too far downward. Even the cloaking shield failed at times to mask the ship's presence on occasion. Lotor didn't feel like risking it.

 _Definitely don't want to engage Sendak._

Sendak was a pain for two reasons. One, he had an ego the size of a battle cruiser. And two, his extensive experience in battle was large enough to fill said battle cruiser. Lotor didn't have the time, or the patience to deal with him.

 _I could, of course._

Lotor was not being haughty when he thought he could obliterate Sendak if the desire took him. But he was on a mission, and couldn't afford the distraction, or the attention it would bring to his location. Sendak would certainly send word out immediately to Hagar of Lotor's position if he showed himself. No, they would sail happily on by…

"My Prince, there are four more readings, coming from behind us," General Ezor commented. Lotor glanced her way, frowning.

"More Galra returning to the fleet?"

"No… It's… It's the lions," Ezor replied, pulling up the video feed from their aft camera and zooming in. Lotor stood to his feet. Surely enough, the black, red, yellow and green lions were zooming through the stars, fast gaining.

"Are they going to attack the fleet?" Ezor gawked. The lions advanced quickly, their eyes glowing and jaws poised to fire.

Lotor tilted his head. "Foolish."

The paladin's open fired upon the fleet and Galra fighters swarmed to protect the main flag ship.

"Navigate out of the path of fire, but don't leave just yet," Lotor commanded sharply, fully aware that should a stray laser stream and hit them, the impact would blow their cover. Zethrid maneuvered the ship even further from the fleet zone and then left the ship idling. Lotor, and his four generals all stared out the window to observe as the paladins of voltron systematically picked off Galra fighters, one by one.

 _What a pity for Commander Sendak..._

"Do you think the paladins have come for the princess?" General Acxa asked.

"If so, this worked out wonderfully well for us," Lotor grinned.

 _Should I let the princess watch?_ He considered. _No, better not. I don't need her getting all riled up._

Even if it would be amusing…

Just then their entire ship rocked. That hadn't been a laser blast.

"What was that?" Lotor snapped. The four generals looked around at each other, and then to the supporting officers. None had an immediate answer.

And then they all heard it. The roar of a lion.

The ship rocked again.

* * *

 _A/N: I apologize for the late update folks! This week was pretty busy, as usual. I seem to not estimate my timing well with when I will be done with these chapters, so I will work on getting better about that! Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter anyway! Things are about to heat up. hehe_


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